A lot of people have asked us about how we got so close to the cute couple of squirrels that have been showing up a lot on our Instagram Feed. In this 5 step series, I'll tell the tale of Tenzing, Hillary, Cowboy, and myself and the rollercoaster of experiences from rehabilitation to release.

How To Befriend A Squirrel – Step 4

This is part 4 of a five part series about the rehabilitation to release of two young squirrels. We recommend starting at the beginning with Step 1: Find a Hungry Squirrel.

Step 4: Understand Squirrel Predators

Tenzing and Hillary are two squirrels that, despite our intentions, have spent most of the last couple months of their lives in the company of humans. Their knowledge of the outdoors is only composed of their most basic instincts. Fortunately, that seems to be enough.

Only a day after we release the two into a minimalist squirrel house we have constructed from the remains of the fallen tree, a large hawk swoops onto the two as they play on the squirrel house’s roof. Despite little experience and no warning from us, the two streak for cover. We rush to shoo away the now perching hawk—which is waiting for a second chance.

While Hillary looks fine, it takes a while for us to coax Tenzing out from under a stack of wood. The hawk’s claw pierced him in the belly right below his right forepaw. We can see a strip of scratched away fur and one angry red puncture mark.

So much for releasing the squirrels. We return to the drawing board as we coax the two back inside to their warm bedding. While Tenzing heals, Cowboy gets to work.