Squirrels
  Whether you're a country bumkin or a city dweller, you've all seen the antics of our most common squirrel, the Eastern Gray Squirrel.  As with most animals, you can now expect to see baby squirrels, with or without their parents, in your yard.  Because they can start breeding as early as late January, their first litters can be born in early March.  Although born naked,  deaf and toothless, they are on their own in a mere 14 weeks.
  Most humans will have little contact with young squirrels, unless brought home by their companion dog or cat.  If this happens, T.E.R.N. for Wildlife recommends that you contact your local veterinarian or one of our licensed and trained wildlife rehabilitators  to advise you, and possibly to raise the injured or orphaned squirrels. We will be able to assess what injuries, if any, the squirrel has sustained and deal with them properly.
  How to tell if a squirrel has been orphaned?  Many times, young squirrels that are on their own are not orphaned or abandoned, but have fallen out of their nest.  In this case, they can sometimes be reunited with their mother.  If  you suspect that the nest has fallen (due to high winds, for example) the babies can be left in a shallow box in a protected place, or one which as been securely placed in the crook of a tree, for the mother to find.  The best place for this temporary nest is of course the very tree you suspect that they have come from.  In this instance, be sure to keep companion animals and other people away from the area, and observe from a distance to see whether Mom Squirrel returns for her young.
  If the young squirrel you see on the ground looks sick, and/or has flies swarming around it, you need to get it prompt medical attention.  They could have been injured in a fall from a tree, or perhaps were attacked after the fall.  Gently place the animal in a shallow box, with soft, dry cloth that does not ravel, keep in a dark, quiet, temperate area until transport to the nearest vet or rehabilitator is possible.  Keep noise and interaction with the animal to a minimum.  Do not attempt to feed or give water to the young animal.  Please note that wild animals do not make acceptable pets, and that it is illegal to hold a wild animal for any reason without the proper State and Federal permits.
  Squirrels are an  amusing animal to watch, but as we all know, they like to chew and can be destructive.  It is up to each and every one of us to be certain to cap our chimneys and plug any holes in the eaves where squirrels and other small animals are likely to explore.  In exploring these inviting places, they are following their innate curiousity, and since we have the means to understand this and to prevent future problems, we should be diligent in contributing to the peaceful co-existence of human and non-human animals.