Tiny Guest

I was in the middle of our weekly meeting, when my phone rang. It was Vasundra calling from home. I disconnected thinking that I would call up after the meeting. The phone ran again. What could be so urgent, I wondered. I picked up the phone to hear a super excited voice. "Manna and I rescued a baby squirrel from monkeys", she was shouting. What, where is she now, monkeys, when did this happen - a flurry of questions came rushing to my mind. "She is with us, you come home quickly", and she disconnected leaving me stranded. Ever since the first time I met Vasundra, her love for animals always get across. She already has got two cats in the home which she adopted from an animal shelter. She had also rescued a baby langur from dogs back in her village where she is doing her research. So this was not the first time I was hearing such things. Even then I was pretty excited to know whats going on. So after the meeting was over, I headed straight home.

As I drove in, Vasu rushed out to greet me, excitement all over her face. She couldn't get me upstairs fast enough. In the meantime, she told me the whole story. In the evening she and her sister, Manna, were at the balcony when they saw a couple of big monkeys playing with something. They realized it was a baby squirrel that they had picked up from somewhere. Immediately they went down armed with a stick and some stones for the rescue operation. They were scared of the big monkeys but somehow they managed to get the tiny baby from them and brought her home.

Upstairs, Vasu showed me the baby. They had wrapped her in cotton. I couldn't believe how small the baby was. She barely filled my palm. She looked so fragile that I was afraid to hold her, lest she gets crushed. She was a bit nervous and disoriented probably looking for her mom. I picked her up and put her on my T-shirt and pretty soon she was moving all over me. I was in love with the little chap - she was just so cute. When she got around to my neck, i was a bit nervous. It was a little creepy to feel her webbings (a bit like a lizard) move over my skin.


Here I would like to bring in the fact, that the elder of our two cats, Sarso had taken a particular fascination to the little squirrel. For the entire duration, not once did I see her eyes wander off anywhere else. She was transfixed. The squirrel had her complete and undivided attention. Nothing I assume, not even an aeroplane crashing into our gates, could have taken her eyes off it. She was constantly trying to get close to it. When I had it raised in my hands, she climbed on the table, ready to be airborne. Now we considered the possibility that may be she was just curious towards the little guest. May be she was excited to have a new friend in the house and just wanted to play with her. After all Sarso had never shown any inclination to eat anything at all apart from her imported cat-food. May be we should leave her and see how she acts. Then again may be not, sorry kitty, we don't want to take the chance of the little squirrel ending up in your tummy.

Warning: Dont try this at home :) Relax - the cat is being held safely.

Amidst all the excitement, Manna and I got photographed in various poses with the squirrel. I also got on a mission to practice my new-found photography skills and use my macro lens. The squirrel formed a most interesting and fascinating subject for me and I couldn't put my camera down. Vasu, meanwhile was making arrangements to feed the baby. She got some milk in a bowl, dipped a piece of cotton and squeezed drop by drop in her mouth. Apparently the squirrel didn't mind the taste of buffalo's milk and fed to contentment. Like all babies, fed stomach translated to a peaceful sleep. Next we got a basket and Vasu turned it into a best possible nest for the squirrel. She got some leaves, twigs, branches, cotton and rags, and scattered it inside. Then we placed the baby squirrel inside and covered the top.






So immediate things being taken care of, it was time to think about what next. Can we keep her as pet ? None of us would have minded that but we realized we wouldn't have much clue as to how to go about it and I doubted if there would be much help available on internet on raising squirrels. I am not sure if I have ever heard about a pet squirrel. Besides it would translate to a life of captivity for the poor baby and her best chance of survival lay with her mother. Vasu was certain that the squirrels nest was on a tree in our immediate neighbourhood and was planning to return it to her nest. But I had a lot of questions going around in my mind. How can we be sure its the right nest ? How do we get her up there ? Will her mother be there ? How will she react ?

Before going off to sleep, I kept the basket near the bed. Then off we went to sleep with vague plans about the next day. I could not have been sleeping for more than an hour when a loud crash woke me up. Immediately my reflexes kicked in and I jumped off the bed, aware of what was happening even before I tried to comprehend it. Yes, it was Sarso who just couldn't keep away. We had committed the mistake of assuming that Sarso wouldn't realize that the squirrel was inside the basket. To my horror, the basket was rolling sideways on the floor, its covering gone and Sarso was searching keenly. I shooed her away and picked up the basket fearing the worst. I started looking for the baby but couldn't find her. I frantically searched through the leaves and twigs but no sign of her. To my great relief I finally located her. She had managed to get herself wrapped completely in cotton, so much so, that if I hadn't been looking, it would have been impossible for me to know that something was alive in that cotton ball. Now I knew the damn cat isn't going to leave her alone, so I picked up the basket and left it in the other room with Manna.


In the morning, we were excited to find the baby squirrel awake and squeaking. She seemed much more relaxed and energetic now. We were her playground now and she was happily roaming all over us. This time we kept Sarso away, and the smaller cat which had so far remained passive, showed more interest in the squirrel. We were sure she was too small to be of any danger, and she was also not as swift in her movements as the bigger cat, so we felt in control as she checked the baby out with wide curious eyes. And the baby squirrel also seemed to be greatly interested in the cat. Instead of being afraid, she was actually moving towards her, checking her out. Does she think its her mommy or just trying to make a friend.


I also took opportunity of the morning sunlight to click a few more photographs, before it was time to try to return the baby. Vasu and I took the squirrel out, while Manna stayed back to keep the cats in control. I wasn't sure how exactly we were going to do this but I just decided to take Vasu's lead, all the while hoping that this doesn't require any of us climbing a tree. So off we went, Vasu with the baby in her hands and myself armed with the camera. Vasu pointed to the tree towards a small nest hidden partially in the leaves, at a considerable height from the ground. Neelu didi, our neighbour, was also standing outside near the tree.


Now the events that transpired when we got to the base of the tree, happened at such a fast pace that I have hard time believing that any of it really happened. Although we human, who take such pride in our superior intelligence, would refuse to acknowledge this, but it seemed the little baby with a brain the size of a peanut, had complete understanding of the entire plot that was unfolding right then. She was seated calmly in Vasu's hands till we reached the tree, at which point she gave a shrill squeak. In an instant, we saw an adult squirrel rushing down from the nest towards us at a lightening pace, yet maintaining such elegance and balance, as only a squirrel can, hopping from one branch to another, as though flying. As she reached the base, the baby squirrel jumped out of Vasu's hands towards the tree, or may be Vasu herself put it there, as I said things happened so fast. The mother immediately greeted her baby with a hug, curled her and then proceeded to lift her up completely off the ground in her own tiny hands. Then for an instant, I swear she looked directly at us, the baby in her hands, as if saying thank you for bringing my baby back. Then the next moment she was gone, disappeared between the leaves towards her nest.






All of this wouldn't have taken more than a few seconds. We were really overwhelmed. I couldn't believe that all of this had really happened but fortunately I had managed to click my camera at the right moment. The hurry in which the mother had appeared, as if she had been waiting all night for her baby. The ease with which she had lifted up the baby and carried her to the top. We were speechless for joy and the satisfaction of knowing that we had done a kind act. Neelu didi was quite overwhelmed as well, telling us that the mother squirrel would be really blessing us. We came back and shared the story and photograph with Manna and my parents. Everyone was really happy about the whole thing.

Possibly a whole month had passed, since this entire thing happened. Yet I have been unable to get it out of my mind. Ofcourse I am happy that the mother and her baby got reunited, but in a way I am also sad that the baby left. It was such a great feeling, to have a tiny life in your hands, to realize that life doesn't only come in the shape of two hands and two feet without a tail, a fact all of us so often forget. Life in any form is as miraculous whether it be a human baby emerging from a womb or a chicken hatching out of an egg. I often find myself thinking about the baby squirrel and her mother. I wonder if they remember us. I also amuse myself with the idea that one day they will pay us a visit, get us a nut may be. Ya I know, too filmy. But what the hell. I take the liberty of running my imagination lose. As any pet owner will tell you, humans are not the only ones with emotions. An animal can love you unconditionally. And animals have memory too, so its possible that the little squirrel still remembers me and possibly it watches from its nest high up in the trees.....