I watch squirrels every day in my garden, climbing the trees and searching for food. They remain excited most of the time and attack instantly when threatened.
Can a Squirrel Get Stuck in a Tree? Squirrels can get stuck in a tree if they try to enter the small-sized hollow or due to an injury. They can freeze in one position if scared or shocked when predators are around, which seems like they are stuck on the tree. It is better to call the wildlife rehabilitator center or fire departed for help. Do not rescue it yourself, as it can attack you, or the rodent can get injured.
You often find these rodents hanging or stuck in a tree and can think they need your help, but it is not true every time. There are rare cases of animals getting stuck in the trees, as they may just sit on high branches to protect themselves from predators.
How Can a Squirrel Get Stuck in a Tree?
These rodents can get stuck in a tree because of the flowing reasons; however, it is rare to see such situations, but it can happen sometimes.
Small tree hollow
These rodents live in the trees by building their nests with leaves and twigs or making hollows to hide from predators. Sometimes there are small hollows in the tree stem, and they get stuck inside the small-sized hole when trying to get into it.
They can insert their head or back into this small hollow and end up helpless unless someone comes and let them free from this hollow.
I have a park near my house, and there are many squirrels climbing and playing on the branches. One day I was passing by the park and saw a squirrel head stuck in the tree hollow.
The poor rodent was trying to get out of the hollow but could not get successful. People standing near called the wildlife department to help the rodent and got it out of the small hole.
Injured squirrel
They can get injured if the predator attack or get hit by a car. There are other reasons for these rodents to get hurt or injured, which causes them to feel sick and cannot move much.
There are some chances that they get stuck in braches if injured and insert their head or tail in the branches or hollows dug by other birds.
They cannot apply much energy to get out of this place due to injury or can get injured while trying to get out. It is reluctant in some states of America to pick up or release the injured rodent and recommend contacting wildlife centers.
Shocked or scared
They are familiar with the nesting place and are used to climbing and playing around on the tree branches and bark. Therefore, it rarely happens that these rodents get stuck in a tree, as they do not move when they get shocked or scared.
They remain still in their position until they feel relaxed or the predator moves away from this place. For example, a young squirrel can get out from the nest after 8-9 weeks to explore their living space and get scared if they see a predator or danger.
They do not move from their position and spend many hours sitting in one position until they do not feel secure. I saw a squirrel sitting on the tree bark for approximately 3 hours and did not move an inch from its place.
I thought it got stuck there and contacted the wildlife center, but after examining the situation, they concluded that it was not stuck but scared of the domestic cat sitting nearby for three hours.
What to do when a squirrel is stuck in a tree?
You can follow the following steps if you observe a rodent getting stuck in a tree and want to help it in any way.
Call the wildlife rehabilitator center
It is better to observe the surrounding for a few minutes before calling the wildlife rehabilitator center, such as the rodent can sit on the tree branches of many houses without getting stuck.
These rodents may come down from the tree if you remove the cat or dog sitting nearby, and there will be no need to call the wildlife rehabilitator center if the squirrel is not stuck.
Make sure about the injury, such as checking for bleeding wounds on any body part, and call the rehabilitator center right away if the rodent is injured.
Research the nearest wildlife rehabilitator center from your phone and call them. Tell the professionals everything you observe about the rodent and let them take the necessary action to rescue it.
They are experts and trained to deal with such situations without harming the animals and safely get them out of the small hollow in the trees or at the top of the branches.
Contact the fire department
The fire department can also help rescue these rodents if you do not find any wildlife rehabilitator center in your area, as firefighters are experienced in saving people and animals from such situations and can also help the squirrels.
They have all the essential tools required to get the stuck squirrel out of this place safely. I saw a rodent stuck in a tree and called the fire department immediately.
They sent their team on the spot and managed to get the rodent out safely from the hollow after a tiring process of half an hour.
Do not rescue the squirrel yourself
It is better not to rescue the stuck or injured squirrel yourself, as they can attack you because they are stressed under such conditions and lose their sense of direction to behave.
They carry dangerous diseases and can bite you with their sharp teeth, which leads to an injury or infection. They can have fleas, mites, and ticks, which can attach to your hands and infest the places you touch with your dirty hands. Therefore, professionals recommend avoiding any direct contact with these rodents.
Moreover, you can cause the squirrel an injury while trying to take it out from the hole because you do not have the experience to deal with such situations.
You can choke its head if its head is stuck in the small-sized hollow, but you can place the birdfeeder or squirrel baffle around the rodent to avoid predator attacks.
What happens if a squirrel gets stuck in a tree?
Although it is rare to see squirrels stuck in a tree, it can cause damage to these rodents if someone does not help them by calling the wildlife rehabilitator center and getting them out.
They can die from starvation if stuck here for a long time, as food is the essential source of survival. They cannot move out of this place and get food, which can be dangerous for these little rodents. Therefore, help them immediately when you observe something mysterious about their long stay in one position.
Dehydration can also cause them to get sick or die, especially in summer, because heat stroke can cause damage to their nervous and digestive system.
They need adequate water quantity more than twice daily to keep their body hydrated and maintain their energy level.
The baby squirrel can also die slowly from dehydration and starvation because their immune power is less than that the adult rodents.
They can get stressed when stuck in a tree, which causes an increase in stress hormones. They behave offensively and can attack if anyone tries to touch them.
Moreover, the predator can attack them, as the rodents cannot run away when predators approach. They can reach the stuck squirrel and eat it, as predators are constantly searching for prey to fill their stomachs, as a helpless rodent is the best option to attack.
These rodents can die from suffocation if their head is stuck inside the tree hollow because they cannot get adequate oxygen to breathe and die after surviving many hours.
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