GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — As the winter weather begins to fade, many people will look to their landscaping and tree work.
And as experts say baby squirrels are being born earlier than ever this year, what do you do if you find wildlife?
Luckily there are places like the West Michigan Squirrel Rehab in Grand Haven that are ready to help.
Owned and operated by Brad Boyink, the rehab and its team have rescued and nursed hundreds of squirrels back to health over the past 12 years.
"Our goal is to get them back into the wild as soon as we can," Boyink said.
And this year, the rehab's help is needed sooner than they've ever seen before.
"There's no rehabber that's ever taken in this many babies this early in the season," he explained.
Boyink said that's because last year, Michigan lost about 40% of its squirrel population to Bordetella, commonly known as kennel cough.
"So Mother Nature did its thing and started the breeding season earlier in December this year instead of at the end of January and into February," Boyink explained, "plus December was warmer than usual."
Boyink warned that this early breeding also came alongside tree-cutting season.
"We want to make sure that everyone understands that if they're having any tree work done, to make sure that they're checking for babies," he said, "and if there are babies, get them warm, and to a rehab as soon as possible."
"It's really important to keep them warm, and time is crucial because when they're that little, they can't be cold for more than a few hours," he added.
Boyink explained that people should listen for a high-pitched squealing sound because that's what sound baby squirrels will make when they are in distress.
"You should also not try to feed them," Boyink said, "because there's only certain ways that you can hold them, and generic cat or dog formula or food could kill them."
Boyink also warned that while squirrels are definitely cute, they really aren't meant to be pets.
"It's like having a 2-year-old and a teenager wrapped up in the same body at the same time," he said. "They get hyper, they get moody, and they are ultimately a wild animal."
The West Michigan Squirrel Rehab currently has 11 mature squirrels and eight baby squirrels in their care, but Boyink said he's had up to 50 at one time when the season gets busy.
The squirrels come to the rehab mostly when they're around two to four weeks old and have to be nursed with a syringe three times a day until they're old enough to eat on their own.
Boyink said that by the time they are 15 weeks old, they will have the skills necessary to go back into the wild.
"We're proud that 90% of the squirrels we take in do go back into the wild," Boyink explained. "And we need squirrels because they're imperative to maintaining our forests, and our trees. They eat 10 times as many bugs overnight than bats do."
You can learn more about the West Michigan Squirrel Rehab or contact them if you find baby squirrels by visiting their website or Facebook page.
You can also find a full list of other rehabs across Michigan that take squirrels by clicking here.
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