SPCA deals with squirrelly situation
Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre struggles to cope with influx of orphaned grey rodents

Louise Dickson
Times Colonist

Thursday, August 18, 2005

It's nuts at Wild ARC, the B.C. SPCA's wildlife rehabilitation centre in Metchosin.

At least that's what is written on the board outside the mammal ward where volunteers are looking after 30 injured and orphaned baby grey squirrels.

Down the hall, seven baby squirrels are being cared for in incubators. Late Wednesday afternoon, workers were ready to admit three more after a tree was cut down in Esquimalt's Kinsmen Gorge Park.

"We've got squirrel craziness," said manager Sara Dubois. "It's raining squirrels."

Some people think Wild ARC's work in rehabilitating and releasing the invasive grey squirrels is crazy, but Dubois believes she has no choice.

"Even though the Environment Ministry and a lot of biologists don't want us to rehabilitate these animals, as a humane society, the public wants us to do this," said Dubois. "The public is bringing these animals to us and so we're providing this public service in getting [the squirrels] back out there."

The centre releases about 60 grey squirrels a year in downtown Victoria, where Dubois said the species is already well established.

No wildlife technician from the Environment Ministry was available for comment Wednesday. However, a ministry spokeswoman said Wild ARC's permit does not allow staff to release grey squirrels.

"The province has made it known to the rehabilitation society what the conditions of the permit are," said the woman who did not want her name used. "We are concerned about grey squirrels, because we don't know the threat they pose to native species such as the red squirrel."

According to Dubois, the ministry has suggested sterilization might be an option in the future.

Volunteer Pat Morris was more concerned about helping the little rodents survive than the threat they pose to the red squirrels.

"They're just cute," she said. "They're just wild animals trying to survive in the city."

The youngest squirrels have wet-black eyes and big whiskers. Their tails aren't fluffy and their ears are still closed. Their skinny claws grasp the feeding syringe like a baby clasping a bottle.

"You try very hard not to talk, not to get them used to you," said Morris.

All the cages are covered up. UVic students Christine Carrieres and Veronica Pak work quickly, giving the babies one of their five daily feedings.

"We're trying to keep the animals as wild as possible," Dubois said in hushed tones.

The first thing the volunteers do is stimulate the babies like their mothers would.

"We actually have to make them pee and pooh," explained Dubois as Carrieres took a moist Q-Tip and carefully stroked the animal's genital area. "It's not the best part of the job."

But the technique does work. After the baby squirrel urinates and defecates, Carrieres fills a syringe with a special formula warmed to body temperature. As the babies get bigger, they will be fed four times a day, then three times a day. The centre's goal is for the animals to feed themselves and to fear humans.

"The best part is when they are released," said Carrieres.

CREDIT: Darren Stone, Times Colonist
Intern Veronica Pak feeds one of 30 injured and orphaned grey squirrels at the Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre. While the Environment Ministry and biologists don't want the SPCA facility to rehabilitate these animals, "the public wants us to do this," says manager Sara Dubois.