Sep 20, 2008

Hurricane Ike's orphaned Squirrels are coming to the Rainbow Wildlife Rescue in Stephenville, Erath County, Texas

Hurricane Ike's orphaned Squirrels are coming to the Rainbow Wildlife Rescue in Stephenville, Erath County, Texas

The IWRC (International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council) put out a call for help to all wildlife rehabilitators to accept transfers of orphaned squirrels left behind in Houston and surroundings by hurricane Ike. Caring people found the squirrels and turned them over to the various wildife centers and animal shelters, which got so overwhelmed. One center alone received over 700 infants squirrels.

If I understood everything correctly, the rescue organizations are working together to transfer a load of squirrels up to the SPCA of Texas in McKinney, Texas.

I have volunteered to accept 15 squirrels for now. I will pick them up in McKinney on Sunday, September 21st at 11 am.

I could accept more later on if I had more outside enclosures. Thanks to the Tarleton Wildlife Society efforts of doing a fundraiser at tonight's Texan football game, we are off to a good start, but we are far from having a suitable enclosure up and read ty move squirrels into.

Material to build outside enclosures and/or aviaries as well as a garden utility shed to store cages and food.

  • 1/2 inch galvanized hardware cloth (most useful at the moment!)
  • 50 ft privacy fence panels
  • concrete for cage foundations
  • 2 x 4's and plywood for bottom frames and back walls
  • utility or garden shed for cages, supplies, and feed (right now the stuff takes up an entire room in my house which I could use as a nursery)
  • large ferret type cages with enough room for squirrels to climb around in
If you want to help with a donation, supplies, or just ideas, please CLICK HERE or EMAIL me!

Outside Enclosure (Example ONLY):

Aviary