001 IMG_7568This is the story of how local residents Kimberly, Doug, and their daughter, Faith reunited a baby squirrel with its mother after the baby had fallen out of its nest located in a nearby tree. After checking to ensure the squirrel wasn’t injured, the family placed the baby squirrel in a small handmade nest (lined with a hot water bottle and a soft cloth) part way up the tree hoping the mother would come to the rescue. They waited and waited and waited, but no luck. They brought the baby back down and considered what to do next. They could see the mother in the tree, but how could they attract her to her baby? Could the sound of a crying baby squirrel bring the mother to the rescue? They found a video on YouTube of a baby squirrel crying in distress. After positioning their baby squirrel on a white cloth at the foot of the tree, they played the video, and …

“We stepped back and watched. And sure enough she came down to him. She spotted him on the white cloth. First thing she did was touch him all over, turning him this way and that, pawing at him. She was very excited, really trying to get a good grasp to carry him to safety. Finally she grabbed him by his butt cheek and hauled him backwards up the tree. It was the sweetest funniest reunion….we were all in tears!”

Listen to the recording of the crying baby squirrel that the local family used to reunite their baby squirrel with its mother: