A squirrel nibbles on Ryan Clukey’s hand.
Three orphaned baby squirrels were found by MCCC students in front of the library building.
Students Ryan Hurd, Ryleigh Byrne, Sarah Worrel, Casey Vanover, and Ryan Clukey were among the many who saw the squirrels Monday, Sept. 19.
Clukey and Vanover were leaving their non-verbal speech communication class at 1:50 p.m. when they noticed the commotion.
“I saw Ryleigh pointing at one and saw the other trying to get into the school,” Clukey said. “He wanted into the library.”
The female squirrel was near the circular centerpiece between the A and C buildings, and the male squirrel was on the mat in front of the library doors.
The male was more social with the students than the female.
The male had already walked up to a student, who petted him, before Clukey picked him up.
Students named him Chad because he is a college squirrel, Clukey said.
“He liked crawling up my left shoulder,” he said. “He liked being up at the top.”
Kerry Kamalay, a DNR-licensed animal rehabilitator, agreed to pick up the two baby squirrels that day.
She said they were less than 5 weeks old. Kamalay fed the squirrels a rehydration solution before traveling back to Toledo.
“He nibbled on the ends of my fingers,” Clukey said. “Makes sense for how young they are.”
Wednesday morning students Kayla Maddox and Taylor Apker discovered the third orphaned squirrel jumping frantically outside the library doors.
Maddox grabbed a brown shipment box from the library to rescue the female squirrel.
Both students struggled to grab the bouncing squirrel, which was headed toward the grass, but managed to safely capture and secure it in the box.
They took the baby squirrel to class while they awaited Kamalay’s second rescue at MCCC.
Once Kamalay arrived, she said the orphan was very underweight and dehydrated from being abandoned for so long.
A couple weeks later, Kamalay gave an update on the baby squirrels.
“They’re doing really good,” she said.
The last squirrel found calmed down when she was reunited with her brother and sister.
“The third female was really shy, but once she realized I wasn’t going to hurt her, I could give her formula,” Kamalay said.
The squirrels are on a diet of blackberries, blueberries, corn off the cob, and walnuts.
They will be ready for release in two or three weeks, Kamalay said.
