Yesterday when we went to the park for outside play time, we had a very new experience occur. I had checked the ground for anything unusual and found nothing, so I was very surprised when the children started to run up to me to tell me that there was "a baby mouse on the ground.....and he's dead!"
Well, I got right over there, really unsure what I was going to find since I had seen the area not even 5 minutes earlier and there was nothing! Well, lo and behold, there was this tiny creature laying on the ground, all curled up with it's eyes closed. Not a baby mouse though. It was a baby squirrel! Then, as I am calling to another staff member to bring me a vinyl glove, the squirrel started to move! Okay, definitely NOT dead! Now what?
See, I am used to finding expired creatures in the park and using a glove and a plastic bag to dispose of them. But not having the poor little thing survive the 20 to 25 foot drop from where the nest could be in the tree directly above where it landed. I almost felt like saying something like, "I don't work with live animals!", but didn't.
Well, another staff member procured a shoebox and a towel for the poor thing, and we spent most of the rest of our time outside trying to protect the poor baby squirrel from the 28 or so children who just wanted to look really closely at it, and possibly also touch it! I was glad that they were so interested in the squirrel (since they keep an eye out to be able to chase the adult squirrels around the park - kids on the ground, squirrel in the trees or along our fence!) but was worried for the life span of the squirrel if the children got too close.
As far as I understand the staff that got the shoebox for the "beast" also took it to see a vet and then to their place because the mother did not come and get her baby even after all the children (and staff) left the park.
But now I can say that I have also handled a live baby squirrel!
No comments:
Post a Comment