A bitter sweet day for me - squirrels finalised released

feorag · #1 (**permalink**) 19-04-2008, 08:11 PM

Hi everyone, well the squirrels have been released and after a bit of reticence have both left home (although I'm sure they'll be back tucked up in their beds tonight!)

Here they are watching what is going on and wondering.....

We took the door off the pen at 10:30 and for an hour they studiously ignored the fact, other than peeping through the feeding hatch at what was going on.

Tyne Tees TV came along and, as I'm sure you're all aware animals don't read the text books and although they got film of them coming through the feeding hatch into the 'safe area' they wouldn't come outside.

After the TV cameras had gone, Barry went into the pen and Fidget was straight onto him, as you can see here

I was standing in the main doorway and he then ran to me

Ran up my leg, down again across my shoes and out the pen! He ran across the garden, back to the pen and then up and over the dividing fence and away!! Jake in the meantime was still in the pen. After a few minutes Fidget came back and sat on top of the pen as if asking Jake why was he still in there, while Jake looked up at him as if asking "how did you get up there?"

Then he was off again and this time didn't come back. Despite all our endeavours Jake (who was always the least adventurous and more quieter kitten) would not come out of the pen, but kept looking up at the roof to see if Fidget was coming back.

Then we had to leave. I received a phone call from the owners of the garden where they have been living to say that when they went out at 1:00 Jake was still in the pen, but when they came back at 4:00 he had gone.

As I said I'm sure that as dusk arrives they will come back to their own drey for the night and of course an easy to find food supply, but hopefully eventually they will strike out on their own and the pen will either be dismantled or maybe even left in case there is another squirrel (or squirrels) who need it in the future.

I was a bitter sweet moment, but I have to say my overriding emotion was sheer pleasure that they were now free. One of the organisers of the squirrel group who brought them into the Sanctuary said that they were much 'plumper' (probably a polite way of saying 'fat') than the wild reds in her garden so they've gone out in optimum health and I hope they now live and long and happy life.

I'm so happy!!

Kathryn666 · #2 (**permalink**) 19-04-2008, 08:29 PM

Ohh Eileen, I am so pleased to see how well your day went. You must be proud of the beautiful creatures that you have raised and ultimately given freedom to.

lily-jo · #3 (**permalink**) 19-04-2008, 08:40 PM

eileen, i am so pleased for you and those luckey little squirrels!!

mrfluff · #4 (**permalink**) 19-04-2008, 09:14 PM

Gorgeous pictures Eileen, I'm glad it went well. You should feel tremendously proud

Jo

emily89 · #5 (**permalink**) 19-04-2008, 09:50 PM

they are really cute looking!

Layla · #6 (**permalink**) 20-04-2008, 12:01 AM

Such an amazing achievment, your a stronger woman than me, Id have been too tempted to keep them! Well done! xxx

Katiexx · #7 (**permalink**) 20-04-2008, 12:28 AM

aw look at them all grown up i remember the first pictures of these little cuties. They look so much bigger now, you've done a fantastic job eileen and you should be so very pleased with yourself. They're a credit to you

feorag · #8 (**permalink**) 20-04-2008, 12:32 AM

Thanks Katie - they did grow up good didn't they?

And thanks to everyone else for your comments.

Shell195 · #9 (**permalink**) 20-04-2008, 04:46 PM

WELL DONE YOU

butterfingersbimbo · #10 (**permalink**) 20-04-2008, 06:04 PM

what lovely pics! especially the 2nd one! what a lovely happy ending!

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