What To Do If You Find A Baby Squirrel On The Ground In Minnesota

This is the time of year that has people getting back outdoors, and often times this is also the time of year plenty of baby animals are being born. It's not uncommon for someone who is out in a park or the woods and enjoying being outside might come across a baby squirrel that has fallen out of the tree, or was left behind by its mother. If you are so compelled to try and save it, this is what you should do when you find a baby squirrel.

The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota recently posted to its page what someone should do if they were to find a baby squirrel on the ground, and it's good information to have, as it also can pertain to other animals as well.

It's that time of year - you may be finding tiny newborn squirrels in your car, garage, fallen from a tree, etc.

We're here to help and the very best way to do that is to reunite them with their mom. Her care is far better than ours, no matter what we do. In fact, we've successfully reunited 8 of the 9 baby squirrels we've admitted this season!

If you find the squirrel in the evening, keep it warm overnight and do not feed it. (you don't want it getting pneumonia)

The next morning, put the squirrel back on the ground as close as possible to where you found it, on a towel with a hand warmer or two under it.

For squirrels found in the morning or the afternoon, do the same thing. Get a couple hand warmers and a towel, set the squirrel on top of the towel (not under any cover).

Make sure to keep all activity/dogs/kids away from the area to give mom a chance to retrieve her baby(ies). If she hasn't retrieved it after 3-4 hrs, bring it to us (being sure to keep it warm).

Sometimes in stressful situations the mom will take all her babies except for the runts or any that have an injury. We know that's hard to see but it's the way nature works.

If any are left behind by mom or you find baby squirrels that are injured, bring them to us. We're open 9am-6pm every day of the week. No need to call us first. Please let us know when you bring in squirrels if you've already left them out for mom.

Thank you for sharing this and helping to keep baby wildlife with their moms!
Some takeaways from the post from the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota for helping those baby squirrels.

Keep it warm overnight
Do not feed it
Put the squirrel back on the ground as close as possible to where you found it, on a towel with a hand warmer or two under it.
Make sure to keep all activity/dogs/kids away from the area to give mom a chance to retrieve her baby
If after several hours the baby still hasn't been claimed by its mother, you can bring it to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota.

Many people consider squirrels as nuisances or pests, but they do serve a purpose as they assist in forest regeneration through their seed-eating.

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