What to do with a baby squirrel?

there is a baby squirrel thats has fallen from its nest the mother has not come for him I do not know if its injured but doesnot seem to be hopping right he is now off the sidewalk and laying in the grass do I leave him or move him to the tree?What to do with a baby squirrel?
As much as hill bill y's answer angers some people, it is the right thing to do. Nature is cruel and we can't always intervene and save every animal that is injured or displaced. Rehabilitation centers are inundated with every imaginable baby mammal and bird at this time of year, many of them are actually stolen from parents by well meaning people. These are usually not injured just separated from thier parents. The healthy ones can be rehabbed and released back to the wild.


However, not many veterinarians will examine and treat a sick or injured rodent because the outcome is usually not good and the animal ultimately can not be released. In most states squirrels not used for scientific or educational purposes must be euthanized by law.


Put the squirrel in a quiet spot away from animals and people and let nature do it's thing.


As to MargeCutter's very opinionated comment, rehabbers are not qualified nor legally allowed to operate on /treat a wild animal's severe injuries without a veterinarian's advice and approval. That's what makes a veterinarian a veterinarian and a rehabber a rehabber. And rehabbers are out there not only to help wildlife but also to make decisions about an animals quality of life, whether it could be placed in a facility if non releaseable, and whether euthanasia is warranted. We do have laws issued by Fish and Game officials that we abide by. And any well run, realistic wildlife facility utilizes a triage approach to managing the large numbers of animals brought to their facilities.What to do with a baby squirrel?
leve it alone let nature take its coarse
You may put him in the nest, but you may also want to call your local animal care and control for advice on his condition.Do not believe that '; old wives tale '; about a mother rejecting the returned young because of human smell.
If he appears injured, he needs help. I am surprised at C.M.B.'s advice - wildlife rehabilitators are there to care for injured wild animals, that is what they do. It does not matter how many they have, if a wild animal is injured, they should give it the care it needs.





Do not call a vet - vets are for pets and do not have the expertise to care for wild animals, not do they want to in most cases.





Do not call animal control - they will destroy the squirrel.





Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. You can find one here: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contact.鈥?/a>





These people have the specialized training to care for sick, injured and orphaned wild animals. They also have the state and federal licenses required for anyone to keep wild animals, even for a short time, until they are healthy enough to be returned to the wild.








Edit - C.M.B. - sorry if I stepped on your toes there, but the point is, the animal needs to be seen and evaluated. You can not possibly do this over the internet, in spite of your many years of experience. So why discourage triomom from taking the animal to a rehabber? This is not a case of someone ';rescuing'; an ';orphaned'; baby - she said it is does not appear to be moving properly. It needs to be evaluated and treated by a professional that deals with wildlife - a rehabber. If the rehabber examines the squirrel, and it needs medical attention that the rehabber is not able to give, then the veterinarian that the rehabber has established a relationship with, one that has the knowledge, experience and desire to work with wildlife, can treat the squirrel. But no rehabber I ever worked with ever told anyone not to bring in a possibly injured animal.
if you touch him the mother will smell your scent and have nothing to do with him.