The City Birder Finds a Friendly Squirrel

On a recent trip to Prospect Park, The City Birder saw more than just nesting birds. While walking home on Park Drive near the Meadowport Arch, he noticed a young squirrel walking directly into 3rd Street.

In an attempt to save it, he blocked its path towards the traffic, picked it up, carried it back into the woods, and placed it behind a fence. But the squirrel was immediately back on its suicide mission, walking towards the road.

This time, though, when I blocked his path with my boot. When he got to the top of my pants, he tried to push his way into my coat. The sun was going down and he was cold, so I let him climb into my pocket. He curled into a ball and promptly fell asleep.

I spent the next 30 minutes standing at the side of the road, talking on my cellphone to a New York City 311 operator. Apparently, after 5PM all city agencies, Animal Care and Control, wildlife rescue departments, department of parks, etc., are closed for the evening. The operator recommended that I take it home and call again in the morning.

After a night in a small box, kept warm with a towel and heating pad, it was time to head back to nature. A Parks Department staffer was called for advice, but her irate and misguided advice didn't help. And later, a call to 311 only yielded the following response: “The city doesn’t deal with orphaned squirrels or pigeons.”

A failed attempt to let it free in the park, a subway ride trip to Manhattan and a visit to a squirrel rescuer--and the unlikely twosome had finally found some help. The rescuer explained "that Eastern Gray Squirrels live about three years. There are many dangers in city parks, but sometimes mothers just die and the young panic, leaving the nest in search of food." This one will be okay and the City Birder definitely went above and beyond the call of duty, but we're not sure everyone should pick up every orphaned animal you see.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in Arts and Events on April 17, 2008 11:51 AM

Comments [rss]

west side Michael

Squirrels are not long tailed rats as they don't

habitat under your kitchen sink.

Squirrels are cute.

Editrixie

I once found a pigeon flopping around in Central Park, sick from some rat poison. I normally wouldn't touch a pigeon (I don't like handling any kinds of birds in general) but this one was suffering. I brought him to the Zoo to see if a vet could help it - it was so disoriented. They told me to go see the Pigeon Lady, which I did. You may have seen her on the UES - big mess of black hair (obviously a wig), scary black eyeliner, in her sixties maybe, looks homeless but she's not. She carries her pet groundhog in a bag slung over her shoulder. Anyway, she told me that there's a sanctuary somewhere for hurt birds and pigeons, and she took it from me.

citylion

Cute story. A good guilty pleasure read, thanks.

Dave Hogarty

That pic is Pulitzer-worthy.

HannerHearse

squirrels aren't pets, and i'm glad this kind man found some help with a rescue organization finally. compassion is becoming scarcer in this world. as Ghandi said:

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated.

ihateallbrokers

i had a homeless guy hump my leg just like that,

couldnt shake him off, took him home, that was 8 years ago, hes still there, he doesnt talk much but keeps the place clean and curls up and hides under the sink at night or when i have company.

sometimes i forget to fill his bowl with water when i go to work...

robingee

aw, cute!

just saying

CORRECTION: that should be leashes, not leases.

just saying

If you're thinking about getting a squirrel as a pet, think again. They need big (i.e. expensive) cages, hammocks, leases, wheels, toys, etc. (But the good news is that they can be litter box trained.)

http://www.mary.cc/squirrels/unreleasable.htm

dwightsupremacy

Aw, that is sweet!

lanciano

what the . . . ? this is ridiculous. i think the city birder might be just a bit out of his tree.

Ralph

Squirrels - rats in fancy outfits.

Nick S

“The city doesn’t deal with orphaned squirrels or pigeons.”

GOOD! the city has more important things to handle than worrying about the welfare of filthy pests! KILL'EM ALL!

Guest

Awwww... what a cute little disease infested rodent...

gregroth

thats not a squirrel, thats my mother in law!

palestine

This story is nuts.

zinga!

el_mitch

can the squirrel rescue people help?: http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/38380/

Ethan

Choire Sicha?

fakenewyorker

twitchers tend to be stand up humans.

littlepinkknife

A city birder is someone who watches birds in a city - a birdwatcher!

JacqueMehoff it WAS Bernie Goetz! Thanks for the tip! Lead me to all kinds of interesting research on him...

moocowtoo

This story is nuts.

Peter

Brunswick Stew, a favorite Southern recipe, is usually made with chicken today but traditionally used squirrel.

meowster

what's a city birder?

Phil McCracken 222

He passed 26 desperate homeless street people on his squirrel nerd odyssey. (Squirrels are cuter)

disconnec

slow news day, eh?

JacqueMehoff

bernie goetz is a squirrel guy. maybe that was him in USP?

eyekantspel

“The city doesn’t deal with orphaned squirrels or pigeons.”

Considering they can barely handle orphaned kids, I'm glad the city is drawing a line.

littlepinkknife

I saw a man walking out of Union Square with a very pleased looking squirrel in his coat. Maybe he was this "Manhattan squirrel rescuer?"