Have you found a sick or injured Squirrel?

There are two species of squirrel currently in Ireland. The red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a native species that has been present since before the last ice age. It is totally dependent on woodland as a habitat and has suffered through deforestation
The second squirrel species is the American grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) that was introduced on just one occasion in 1911 to Co. Longford. The establishment and subsequent spread of this alien species has resulted in competition with the red squirrel for food resources, with the red squirrel invariably losing out to the grey.

Did you know a newborn squirrel is only about an inch long?
If you find a baby squirrel with unopened eyes, put it in a warm cloth or sock and place in a small box. Squirrels this young are not normally out of their nest yet. If you find such a tiny squirrel, contact your closest wildlife rescue centre.

If you find a baby squirrel that has opened eyes, but appears to be abandoned, leave it alone and watch it for a few hours. Usually, the mother is not far away. If the baby is truly abandoned, place the squirrel in a covered box and then call your local wildlife rescue centre.

If you find an injured squirrel, carefully place it in a lined small box without food or water and then contact a wildlife rescue centre. They will either direct you to a veterinarian or request that the animal is brought to their animal rehab program.

Squirrels are pretty impressive little creatures. They can smell food buried under a foot of snow and don’t usually dig up all of their buried nuts, which results in more trees for everyone to enjoy. That’s a pretty great reason to appreciate squirrels.

If you are not sure what to do please contact your local wildlife rescue center or contact us on our WhatsApp button on this page, use the contact form on this website or email us at wildliferescuecork@hotmail.com