WrightwoodCalif.com Forum
Public Forums => San Gabriel Mtns Flora - Fauna => Topic started by: Nark on Nov 07, 10, 02:18:54 AM
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Charlie needs your help!
One of the things the lovely Mrs. Nark likes best is feeding and getting the local squirrels to come up to her.
But a couple of days ago her favorite (Charlie) came for peanuts and he now has a large rubber band around his body. It does not look like it's tight enough to distress him but who knows what it might catch on one of these days. He still runs and jumps as well as ever so far.
He is tame enough that he would probably take peanuts from a hand but we don't want to give him the chance to bite us. So how do we get the band off of him?
Wait until he somehow gets it off by himself? Get a squirrel trap/cage from Animal Control and take him to a vet?
We (and Charlie) would appreciate any suggestions.
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I'd say watch him/her for a few days and see if it chews it off for itself.
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You could catch him in a cage and then try and get it off while he is in the cage. It should hopefully break pretty easy?
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I think they rent cage type "Havahart" traps at Mountain Hardware. Now the trick is getting Charlie and not a bunch of other squirrels.
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"Havahart" traps at Mountain Hardware
They work
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If you don't think it is in pain, leave it alone. Trapping small animals, especially with their fast heart rates, can lead to unfortunate death by heart attack. Trapping the animal can lead to many other ways it can hurt itself, no matter how safe the trap. Also, if you are a firm law abiding citizen, once caught it maybe illegal to re-release a varmint in SB County.
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release it, geez it lives here now....
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You release rats don't you AW? Admit it! ;)
(I joke with AW, once I found an orphan squirrel and brought it to her and she helped save its life.) It is always in her heart.
My point was about trapping an animal vs leaving a rubber band on it. I think the odds are safer leaving it alone.
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If it is like any of the rubber bands that I use to bundle my credit card receipts, it will crack and snap eventually with this hot and cold and low humidity.
How in the world could that rubberband end up around a squirrel?
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If the squirrel appears to not be in distress as you say, leave it alone. The squirrel will be able to chew the band off if it feels the need. It is not wise to handle squirrels.
I haven't heard of any rabid squirrels EVER in Wrightwood, however they can carry the Bubonic Plague. It nearly wiped out the entire squirrel population in Wrightwood about 25 years ago and it took a lot of years for them to recover.
I feed squirrels from my hand myself and they will take it from my hand, but I'd never think of actually handling them.
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This is an easy one. Grab a stick with two short prongs on the end. Catch the squirrel by trapping it between the prongs. Next, grab the squirrel by it's hind legs and attach the rubber band to both prongs. Using your other hand, pull the squirrel back between the prongs. Aim high towards the nearest pine tree and let her go....
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You release rats don't you AW? Admit it! ;)
(I joke with AW, once I found an orphan squirrel and brought it to her and she helped save its life.) It is always in her heart.
My point was about trapping an animal vs leaving a rubber band on it. I think the odds are safer leaving it alone.
No I KILL rats!!!!
Sliver, the squirrel, has a fantastic life at the wolf sanctuary. He has a 3 story condo and he is a little overweight... He is seriously spoiled. He is hiding in his little wooden house right now, that's what he does in the winter. He could not be released as the neighbor's cat damaged his leg badly.
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This is an easy one. Grab a stick with two short prongs on the end. Catch the squirrel by trapping it between the prongs. Next, grab the squirrel by it's hind legs and attach the rubber band to both prongs. Using your other hand, pull the squirrel back between the prongs. Aim high towards the nearest pine tree and let her go....
Thats not even funny, just stupid and no compassion. I think my husband saw this squirrel in my neighborhood and he was concerned too. Hopefully he/she will be all right.
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didn't you hear? charlie is trying to create a new fad...pretty soon all the squirrels will be wearing them in various fashion colors. ;D
in all seriousness, it will probably deteriorate & break off soon...if it is a nuisance, charlie will chew & tug it off eventually. it is probably more harmful to trap him & try and take care of it...that is a lot of stress on a little creature.
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This is an easy one. Grab a stick with two short prongs on the end. Catch the squirrel by trapping it between the prongs. Next, grab the squirrel by it's hind legs and attach the rubber band to both prongs. Using your other hand, pull the squirrel back between the prongs. Aim high towards the nearest pine tree and let her go....
...what kind of person are you? it's a squirrl, not a hamster!! >:(
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(http://www.animalbraceletsblog.com/.a/6a0120a668211b970c0120a78ea11a970b-800wi)
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I was not expecting that, JH, when I clicked on the latest post. . . Inhaled some chai tea, but at least its not all over my keyboard! :2thumbsup:
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This just in....
Charlie found unconscious! Rubber band not found. Focus turns to the LA Side Peanut Gang. This may have been a hit. Charlie may have turned to illegal peanut "trafficking" during these hard times. Immediate details on Charlie's condition are unknown. Our thoughts and prayers are with Charlie and his family.
(http://captionwit.com/wp-content/caption/funny-picture-photo-nature-squirrel-kiss-creativity_CQsSw_r.jpg)
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This is an easy one. Grab a stick with two short prongs on the end. Catch the squirrel by trapping it between the prongs. Next, grab the squirrel by it's hind legs and attach the rubber band to both prongs. Using your other hand, pull the squirrel back between the prongs. Aim high towards the nearest pine tree and let her go....
Reaction to your post was varied here. The lovely Mrs. Nark is shaking her head (but smiling), I'm rolling on the floor laughing and we haven't seen Charlie this morning to find out what he thinks.
Update - Mrs. Nark just went out and called Charlie. She could hear him chirping but he didn't come to her yet. Still alive and kicking anyway.
We appreciate (almost) everyone's suggestions. The consensus seems to be "let Charlie handle it" so that's what we'll do. Unless we see him in distress, of course.This just in....
Charlie found unconscious! Rubber band not found. Focus turns to the LA Side Peanut Gang. This may have been a hit. Charlie may have turned to illegal peanut "trafficking" during these hard times. Immediate details on Charlie's condition are unknown. Our thoughts and prayers are with Charlie and his family.
(http://captionwit.com/wp-content/caption/funny-picture-photo-nature-squirrel-kiss-creativity_CQsSw_r.jpg)
Yet another example of lowlife LA gangsters spreading to the mountains!
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Hi Nark.
Glad to see some people on here still have a sense of humor. I really do hope Charlie will be ok. We have a tame squirrel here by our house we're renting. The other day he/she darted out onto our busy street in front of a speeding car. My wife, kids and I watched in horror thinking he was going to be Raven food. Somehow he/she moved in and out so fast and was able to avoid contact with the tires. He/she then ran back up their favorite tree... We were all relieved. I am thinking of naming this squirrel "Lucky" lol....!
What disturbs me about your Charlie is how the rubber band ended up on him.... Hope someone didn't grab him and do this to him. >:(
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It's Gone!
[/color]
Charlie showed up this morning chirping at us for more peanuts and the rubber band is gone. The consensus was right! We really appreciate the suggestions and everyone's concern.
We'll keep the Havahart traps in mind for some possible emergency in the future.
And contined good fortune to Lucky.
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Yay! :2thumbsup:
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Maybe he/she was the victim of bad plastic surgery-you know, the lap band was put on the OUTSIDE of his/her body instead of inside...
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Maybe he/she was the victim of bad plastic surgery-you know, the lap band was put on the OUTSIDE of his/her body instead of inside...
:coffee: [I really do miss the emoticon where the smiley face is at its computer, then laughs so hard he falls off his chair, 'cause that's what I'd've used!]
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Maybe he/she was the victim of bad plastic surgery-you know, the lap band was put on the OUTSIDE of his/her body instead of inside...
Ha ha! ;D
Hi, I am Charlie and this was me before the lap band.
(http://fusion.uleth.ca/crdc/rgs/photos/08QuailEgg.jpg)
This is me after....
(http://www.bactexas.com/uploaded_images/squirrel2-781644.bmp)
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;D
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Glad the little guy's OK. I love to watch the squirrels romp and play.
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Charlie showed up this morning chirping at us for more peanuts and the rubber band is gone. The consensus was right! We really appreciate the suggestions and everyone's concern.
Fantastic! Poor little guy, I felt bad for him.
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He may have had some help! I see one of the squirrels in JasonHills photos is giving CPR to a friend--maybe another squirrel took it off. But if it was THAT smart...watch out for acorn bullets being fired from a slingshot!
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I break for squirrels. Unfortunately my patrol partners don't always share my passion. "Gxx Dxxx it, it's a $@*) squirrel!!! You almost ran us off the cliff!!!!!" ;D
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I break for squirrels. Unfortunately my patrol partners don't always share my passion. "Gxx Dxxx it, it's a $@*) squirrel!!! You almost ran us off the cliff!!!!!" ;D
I agree, RobertW! While driving through the streets in town, I've been known to stop, get out of the car, and shoo the squirrel out of the street, if the dang thing wouldn't move on its own. It breaks my heart to see one that's been hit by a car. :( Their movements can be so erratic that sometimes it's hard to know where to move.
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One of my favorite commercials.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ8WWNtfzsA&feature=related
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"I haven't heard of any rabid squirrels EVER in Wrightwood, however they can carry the Bubonic Plague. It nearly wiped out the entire squirrel population in Wrightwood about 25 years ago and it took a lot of years for them to recover."
Interesting that this should come up, I was speaking with a friend from Arrowbear last week and she told me that they lost all of their squirrels over the last couple of years. She had no idea what killed all of them off, I wonder if it could be "the plague". Intriguing. Was this ever confirmed as the source?
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Hey CNMom, I heard from someone in Crestline their squirrels have disappeared as well, at least where they live.
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Squirrels are disappearing in Crestline because folks over there find them to be a delicacy.... :chef: