*holds up two orphaned squirrels bout all of two weeks old, eyes aren't even open yet*

The custodian and some of the Juvie workers (community service for them, less lifting and digging for us, even if they're..... problem kids) found them on grounds today, originally there were four. They had crawled out of the burrow searching for mom, whom I suspect didn't come home last night..... or the night before.... and made Momma Cat (who has kittens recently born) very happy.

It happens...... plus that means one less squirrel stealing grain from our deer.

Two had crawled down into the creek and were virtual popsicles, we thought they were dead, but when I went to pick them up, they were still alive...... one was just outside the den....... and just before we left I found the fourth just inside the tunnel opening (and the Big Guy excavated about two feet of tunnel just to make sure there weren't any more, maintenance is gonna love us *LOL*). We took all of them into the Reptile House so that we could help the two little frozen ones on their way to a painless death, rather than try to rehab them and make them miserable if they didn't make it. And these two dry ones.... we were gonna let them go, too, but they were fighting so hard to live...... and, well..... *chuckles*

Even the Big Guy couldn't resist my argument.

Not like they're an endangered species, if they don't make it..... we're overrun with them at the zoo. But, even though we've been a vet tech for a year a looooong time ago, (the collective) we've never rehabbed an animal before, by ourselves, and they're good practice....... plus they get a second chance should they survive (and I think they will, one's already starting to open its eyes). I'll just release them waaaaaay out in the middle of nowhere.