The devastation left in the path of tropical storm Hannah and hurricane Ike has dominated the recent news. In addition to the countless number of people left homeless, and the destruction of businesses, much of the native habitat for the local wildlife has also been destroyed. In a one-week period, Evelyn’s Wildlife Refuge took in 64 baby squirrels, courtesy of Hannah.

When hurricane Ike passed through Houston, Texas, over a 1,000 squirrels were brought into the various wildlife centers in the Houston area. The centers were overwhelmed with the number of babies brought to them and a plea for help went out over the Internet to the wildlife community across the nation. Many of us here in Virginia responded, including our refuge, Wildlife Response, Inc. (a Chesapeake-based organization dedicated to treating injured wild animals), and the Virginia Beach SPCA. No doubt, many individual wildlife rehabbers sent supplies and money to the stricken area.

When people become members of Evelyn’s Wildlife Refuge, the membership dues assist in defraying the cost of formula, medicines, and other supplies. If anyone is interested in becoming more actively involved in helping out the wildlife, we can teach him or her how to become a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. (Contact the refuge for more information.)

Anyone that visits the refuge will likely see Guinea, our guinea hen. One day he showed up at the refuge, decided he liked the place, and just never left. He is in charge of the backyard! He is inclined to take his duties very seriously, so at times he gets me a tad annoyed.

We have released two pigeons after they recovered from breaks, one with a leg break and the other a wing. They are free to come and go from the refuge, but have decided this is their home base. But when they show up, Guinea makes them go back into the protective flight cage. He sits outside of it to make sure they don’t come out. When he leaves his post to check out the refuge, the pigeons make a dash for the open door. It appears the pigeons don’t mind this set up since it goes on daily.

Heckle, the crow that came to us as a baby, is still bringing us lots of special moments. He has been released, but hangs out with a bunch of other crows at the refuge. At the last count there were eight. Heckle comes to visit me every day and I tell him how special he is. He responds by talking back to me. And, he still likes to beg for food. If the door to the wildlife room is open, in he walks and then looks around to see what he can cadge from me.

Our golf tournament was a big success and we are already making plans for next year’s event. Watch for a date and sign up information.

At this time of Thanksgiving, words just can’t describe how grateful we are. The number of volunteers who help us is so many I can’t list them all. Suffice to say that without their help, we couldn’t do half of what we do. Americans have such a great volunteer spirit and it shows.

Evelyn & Jim

(Editors’s Note: Anyone speaking with Evelyn realizes she is not a Virginia native. She came here from County Cork Ireland.)

Squirrel Facts

Squirrels are usually born in early spring with the average litter being four. If food is abundant, a mother squirrel may have a second litter in mid summer.

Mating season begins in late winter, when squirrel are most active. Males chase and court the females and will chase off other males. A female squirrel will look for the strongest male to be the father and will usually not mate with the same male again, in hopes of keeping her species strong.

The average gestation period is 33-35 days for smaller squirrels and 55-60 days for the larger fox and greys. Babies are born with no fur or teeth and their eyes closed. Their eyes begin to open in four to five weeks.

During the summer, the squirrel is most active for a few hours after sunrise and then again for a few hours before sunset. They rest during the day and throughout the night, rarely leaving their nest after dark.

Squirrels do not hibernate, but will stay in his or her nest if the weather is extreme. Squirrels are solitary creatures, but will allow others into their den if it is extremely cold. Once the weather warms, the "guests" are encouraged to leave. It is believed that squirrels communicate with others of their species through different chirping sounds.

A squirrel’s diet consists of seed, nuts, berries, and fruits. A squirrel’s teeth grow continually to compensate for wear. It will chew on small tree branches to clean and sharpen his teeth.

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