Mama Squirrel Goes On Attack To Protect Babies In Santa Cruz

SANTA CRUZ, CA — A mother squirrel and her babies have been safely re-homed after she made a "reputation" for herself in downtown Santa Cruz. Officials there had been receiving reports of people being attacked and bitten by the protective mama, so Friday morning the Santa Cruz Fire Department and Native Animal Rescue of Santa Cruz County assessed the situation. They found the nest of the approximately 1-year-old mother and her three little babes in the 200 block of Maple Street.

Using the fire department's ladder truck, NAR volunteer Bill Snell helped remove the mama squirrel and babies from their nest. The diminutive family was relocated to NAR.

The whole family is doing well, and they have neighbors, NAR volunteer Kaye Merritt confirmed. "Oh yes, we have several squirrels here. We have squirrel enclosures with hammocks for their nests," she explained.

The three newly discovered babies are approximately 1-week-old. "They are just little pinkies," Merritt said.

Although mother squirrels can be quite vicious when defending their young, it turns out the Santa Cruz mama had been hand-raised by a person living nearby, which likely made her less afraid of humans, according to the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter, which also had officers on scene during Friday's squirrel operation.

It is illegal to raise wild animals without a permit under both city and state law. For more information about NAR, visit www.nativeanimalrescue.org.