Babies do best in the wild with mom; if the baby is not ill or injured, please leave the babies in their nest or at the tree where they were found!

Fallen Out Of A Tree

If you find a baby squirrel fallen out of the tree or displaced because of tree cutting, you can do one of the following: attempt to place the baby back into the nest, if possible, or put the baby in a box at the base of a tree where the mother has been seen and wait for the mother to come.  It is okay if you touch the baby to move it back into the tree or to place it in the box; the mother will still come back for it.  Mother squirrels keep at least two nests throughout the year, and she will move the babies to the other nest. Do your best to keep people and animals away!  If the baby is cold, put a hot water bottle or jar full of warm water in the box with it, using a small cloth to make a barrier between the bottle/jar and the baby so that the baby’s skin doesn’t get burned.

If it is near night time, keep the baby inside until morning and then place the baby in the box with a hot water bottle or jar of warm water, if necessary, at the base of the tree again. If including a bottle or jar, place a small cloth between the bottle/jar an the baby, so that the baby’s skin does not get burned. You can leave the squirrel in the box for up to 48 hours. If the mother does not return before the 48 hours, then you have an orphan.  Please do not feed! Baby animals have very specific nutritional requirements and digestive tract compositions, and feeding the wrong thing can kill it. Please bring the baby to your nearest wildlife clinic or wildlife rehabilitator right away if you truly have an orphan.

Adult Squirrels

Take Caution

Squirrels are a very aggressive animal. Squirrels are notorious for biting, and they bite hard. When handling squirrels, it is best to use kevlar-lined gloves to keep them from breaking the skin. Any mammal that bites and breaks the skin has to be euthanized and tested for rabies. The person that was bitten has to get the rabies exposure vaccine from the County Public Health.

Fallen Down a Chimney or Inside the House?

If a squirrel has fallen down a chimney, it cannot climb back up again. Lower a little rope into the chimney to give them a hand. Once they are out, cap your chimney!

If a squirrel gets from the chimney into your house, close the door to that room and leave the window open. This limits that amount of destruction the squirrel causes, and allows the squirrel an escape route. If the squirrel is on the second-level or higher, the squirrel will be unable to jump down to the ground. At this point, you can set a live trap or call your local Animal Control. In the Champaign area, you can call Steve Beckman from Anything Wild Animal Control at 217-355-2997.