One Friday, a group of young boys turned up to the Lifeline clinic with a squirrel wrapped in newspaper. It looked like a taco so I called it a 'squirrel sandwich'. They wanted to sell it to us, but we refused, thinking they'd just let it go. We watched them walk off towards the shabeen (where Herero people make and sell their own alcohol) and thought nothing else of it.
The next day, I and a friend went for a walk and we had just reached the edge of the shabeen when 2 drunk women called us over. Now, they didn't speak English and we didn't speak their language but it's rude to walk on by, so we dutifully went over and listened for a while. I was just explaining that we were from the clinic and that I was sorry but I didn't understand what she was saying, when I noticed a bit of tail sticking out of her shawl. I asked her what it was and she got excited and pulled out a very dead looking squirrel. I asked her if it was dead, and made the 'cut the throat' sign, so she put it on the floor and it stood. I don't know how, but there's an unfortunate skill that medics learn in being able to tell when someone/something is hours away from dying. Anyway, I recognised this so rushed back home to get change and bought him for the equivalent of 60p, which she glady took and handed him over, wrapped in a piece of torn plastic.
Let's pause for a moment and think about this woman's perspective of how cheap this squirrely life is. How cheap is life to you? I didn't see the squirrel's life as cheap, but important. I'm glad he was cheap though, it made it easier!
So my friend and I rushed back and got a cup of water and a syringe. At this moment in time, the squirrel had 3 problems: (1) he wasn't very conscious, (2) he was going to die of dehydration soon, (3) he is only half grown and has a small stomach. Do you see a problem? Yes, firstly, if he isn't awake he could aspirate the water we give him and it could enter his lungs and cause pneumonia. Second, his small stomach capacity means that you won't be able to give him enough fluids to rehydrate him. It was a negotiation. I figured that since the dehydration was going to kill him before any pneumonia did, he got quite a lot of rehydration solution in that first hour, by syringe. Followed by honey+water to treat presumed hypogylcaemia and a hot water bottle for presumed hypothermia. That first afternoon I had to keep checking that he was still breathing..it was really his only sign of life! He needed fluids 2-hourly, but still he remained dehydrated.
On the second day he looked better - alive! His tail moved for the first time. I took him out in the 'garden'..i wasn't bothered if he 'ran away' or not. He could do what he fancied. The garden was open, and my only intention was to give him some exercise and stimulation. He definitely perked up outside, and I started walking backwards and he followed! So we did 3 good runs before I took him back for more fluids. He had quite a severe left-sided weakness, and would fall flat on his side 3 times on each run. I stewed some apples for him today, and tried to give him some by syringe but he didn't like it. He didn't like milk either.
Now that he was becoming more active, I started thinking more about Namibian ground squirrels and whether or not they bite! I was more careful with him. But it didn't take long to realise that he was an absolute sweetheart. When it was time to change his hot water bottle, if you put him on the table he would just get this drive to launch himself at you for cuddles, and if you didn't catch him he would launch himself off the table in your direction! All he wanted was to be put in your top and go to sleep on your warm skin - isn't that cute!
Let's pause for a minute and marvel. This is a little squirrel who was almost killed by people, right. They caught him, imprisoned him, starved him, dehydrated him, and would ultimately have killed him. How rubbish do you think he felt during that 24 hour period? Ok, now think about how he was with me. No hard feelings, he would want cuddles and followed me round everywhere, even though I, too, am a person. Am I the only one who marvels at this? I would imagine that if someone was an asshole to me and almost killed me, I'd have a few reservations about people after that. So either Scrat is very simple, or I'm missing something. If anyone sees it, let me know :)
When you see an animal which is terribly miserable and unwell, you easily notice when they are happier. Can I convince you that he's smiling in this picture?
On Sunday I gave him a real chance to go back to the 'wild'. I found a beautiful, very secluded spot, with about 4 ground squirrel dens, and I set him down at the entrance to one of them and then ran behind a thorny bush. He ran after me. 3 times I did this! So the 4th time, I put him just inside the den and watched him walk into it and disappear. Then I ran about 15m away and sat and watched. I wanted to know if the current residents would like him, or if he'd come out being chased, and so on. I sat there for about 15 minutes, hearing nothing. Then I saw some movement and saw him wonder around and disappear again. I waited 10 more minutes then went to investigate. He was sitting, like a lemon, at the den entrance, getting cold. 'Go and find a squirrely to snuggle up to!' but I don't think he understand English. I left again and waited until it started getting dark and went to investigate again. he was still sitting there, shivering now. he was obviously going to die of cold or get eaten that night. So I picked him up, told him he was a lemon, tucked him in my top and took him home with me.
The only thing to do on the Monday was to bring him with me to the Naankuse Wildlife Sanctury, where I was headed for the last week. Well, I had a 3-day safari in the dunes midweek, and I would leave Scrat at the farm, as we call it.
Now, medics, listen carefully. I don't know if the solution to Scrat's first presentation occurred to you (it hadn't to me), but of course, the answer was subcutaneous fluids!! For non-medics, this is injecting fluid under the skin, and above the muscle. it's largely not used for adults as adults either drink orally or are given fluids into their bloodstream..although I've since learnt that in Canada they use this method for elderly patients. Anyway, so a good dose of warm subcutaneous fluids and he was doing much better!
The rest is history. He was much loved on the farm..had a baby mongoose friend of about the same size to play with...his left sided weakness was doing MUCH better. I don't know why he didn't take his freedom. Maybe he felt too unwell. Maybe he knew that, as a young squirrel who didn't have a mum, he wouldn't do well in a new crowd. Who knows. And I don't know why he likes people! But he really does, he really, really does, he is the sweetest sweetie.
This is his 'superman' pose. If he's asleep, and you wake him up to feed him, he'll stretch...but it won't stop! He's just loving life in this moment, a permanent delicious stretch. The camera hasn't captured his legs yet, but take it from me they're also stretched out fully. I was composed for this photo, but trust me, his superman pose always had me in stiches. I am most fond of this, of all the funny things he does.
On reflection, in Amsterdam airport, I thought about all the bags, shoes, clothes, jewellery, etc I've bought, and how working with this little squirrel was, somehow, so much more fulfilling and satisfying than anything the material world has provided me with.
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Thank you!
