On Hatteras Island…even the squirrels occasionally swim!

Sometimes, when you are dealing with animals and the great outdoors, the most unexpected things happen! That is what this story is all about.

One early evening my husband, Jeff and I headed over to the barn to perform our usual routine of feeding, mucking and filling the water buckets. When we arrived, we noticed our horse Willem "playing" in the water bucket. This is not unusual because he loves to "make waves" with his face in the bucket…. but this play was different. It was almost like he was bobbing for something but not getting close enough to pick it up.

Since we were also waiting for the equine dentist to arrive, we didn't pay much attention to Willem and he came up to eat as normal. While we waited, I decided to empty and clean the water buckets. As I walked down toward the first bucket I called to Jeff and anyone else to come quick to see what I had found. There was a juvenile squirrel in the bucket, swimming for its life!

Now, we know that squirrels come to the water buckets to drink because we have seen them many times hanging onto the top rim with their feet, reaching down for a drink. This spring we watched a family of baby squirrels emerge from their nest near our hay box so this very likely was a squirrel from that family. Although there have been occasions of tree frogs using the water daily, this was the first furry creature we’ve found swimming! Even though we have worried about the possibility of them falling in we had not yet put a rescue plan in place.

Jeff quickly reached in and lifted the squirrel out of the bucket. It was in shock and continued to "swim" in the air and gasp for breath. Justin ran to his car and found a towel to wrap him in. He was so cold and soaked through, and his tail had been the object of Willem's attention as the end was stripped of fur. We took turns holding him close to us while he was wrapped in the towel. Soon the gasping and reflexive swimming stopped, and we were relieved to see that he was still breathing and appeared to be asleep, exhausted.

By the time the dentist had finished, the squirrel was awake and burrowing into the towel but staying fairly quiet. Thinking he needed a night of quiet, we decided to take him home with us for the night while he recuperated. The squirrel rode quietly in my arms all the way home.

We took him inside and decided to place him in an old birdcage until morning. Jeff was just setting up the cage when I lifted the towel covering the squirrel’s head and he bolted out of my arms and through the lower level of the house. Before we knew it, he was climbing the walls, bicycles, tools, washer and dryer; anywhere he could find to get away. Justin joined Jeff and I trying to corner him. (It is amazing how fast a squirrel can move!) After several attempts to grab the squirrel we managed to corner him again when he decided his best bet was to hunker down and put his tail over his head. It was the old; “If I can’t see you…then you can't see me” game! Jeff picked him up in a towel and put him in the cage. After that, we all agreed he was fit enough to return to his home right then.

Amazingly through the entire ordeal, he never tried to bite, only get away. We have seen him several times now since his water torture and he seems fully recovered. We recognize him by his hairless tail tip and he always scurries away with unusual speed. I can only imagine what he must think about the whole adventure.

Blog entry by Suzie Sholten, Associate Broker, Midgett Realty – Suzie and her husband, Jeff also own Hatteras Island Horseback Riding.