We are pleased to announce that Urban Squirrels has just published a new book! :)
For Londoners, as for other urban residents, grey squirrels are the only diurnal wild mammal whom they see on a regular basis. Furthermore, because grey squirrels are highly intelligent, they quickly figure out whether a particular human is a danger to them or not, and form friendships that are mutually beneficial: the squirrel gets extra food, the human gets animal companionship that otherwise might be denied to them because of their life circumstances. Befriending a grey squirrel can be like having a pet, but without the responsibility! When something happens to these squirrels, or their young, their human companions expect to find a rescue pathway, and this is what Urban Squirrels rescue unit is proud to supply.
The work of Urban Squirrels is very rewarding, but challenging as well. Baby squirrel have to be fed formula every 4 hours round the clock, and are not fully weaned till they are a couple of months old. Injured squirrels require veterinary attention – fortunately, we are located close to a surgery run by a vet who is a wildlife specialist. Last but not least, just keeping a high number of animals in one location means a phenomenal amount of cleaning.
A few words have to be said about our recent crisis. Recent legislation (Invasive Alien Species Order 2019) makes it illegal for animal rescue centres to return back to the wild grey squirrels whom they help. In reality, it is not an exaggeration to say that British grey squirrel rescue is almost destroyed. Urban Squirrels is working tirelessly to both create new rescue placements and to challenge this draconian legislation.
