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December 17, 2004
Wounded Squirrel Story
I am on a mailing list (MIT Outing Club) where someone earlier today reqeusted help in rescuing a wounded squirrel he had found and got it, with one person donating a cage and another driving the hurt squirrel to an animal rescue clinic that would treat it. I find this to be incredibly sweet and worth a mention, taking probably hours of time and effort of multiple people to help this poor creature that most regard as nuissances. Squirrels hold a particular senstivity for me too, because as a young kid I used to sometimes throw things (like sticks) at them - they would always dodge and never be close to being hurt but it was an incredibly mean thing to do and I deeply repent it and so now feel a soft place in my heart for them, in atonement. They are also an incredibly smart animal - my grandfather used to have epic battles of bird feeder technology vs squirrel ingenuity and would almost always lose, as we could all watch easily from the kitchen table at their house, out of a huge window facing the patio over which the birdfeeders hung. No matter what new birdfeeder type he would get, almost always specifically designed to avoid squirrels getting to the feed, the squirrels would within a day or two have figured out a workaround to the defense.
The squirrel has apparently now reached the rescue center and is being treated. I'll try to post a comment later about its condition, as Jan has promised to continue to give the MITOC list updates.
Posted by aarondf at December 17, 2004 04:04 PM
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Unhappy update:
Sadly the wounded squirrel did not make it. He had head trauma and internal hemorrhaging. He was given pain killers and placed in an oxygenated cage in an effort to stabilize him (following xrays and an examination), but his injuries were too severe and he was euthanized when it was clear he would not recover, and that his suffering was too great.I felt very depressed about this on the weekend (I found out on Sunday), very sad, because I became very attached to this little guy in the time I spent with him. Surprisingly, the people at Tufts wildlife clinic had the same reaction. He seemed like a very special being to me.
Posted by: Aaron at December 21, 2004 02:04 PM
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