05/03/2025
๐ช๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ง๐ข ๐ฆ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ค๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ช๐๐๐ง๐ฆ ๐๐ก ๐ง๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ง ๐ฎ๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐จ๐ฅ๐ฆ! ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ๐!
With the high winds followed by snow and cold, tonight into tomorrow morning there is a high risk to baby tree squirrels and great-horned owlets, both of which are currently in their nests. With forecasted winds, we expect trees to break and the winds to blow whole nests down, knocking babies to the ground and putting them at risk for injury, hypothermia, and death.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐๐น๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐, ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ป๐ผ๐. The squirrels may still be small and hairless, resembling large baby mice. Please note that hypothermic baby squirrels may be motionless and appear dead, but once they are warmed, they will begin moving again.
๐ช๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ด๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐, ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ฝ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐๐บ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐
๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฎ ๐-๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐น. Place the box on a heating pad set on low or put a hot water bottle wrapped in a t-shirt in the box (refreshing the hot water bottle ever 1-2 hours as it cools). Put the box in a dark, quiet place away from people and pets and do not offer any food or fluids.
๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ธ๐ฎ ๐ช๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฃ. Our Wildlife Center at 9777 M Street in Omaha is open from 11AM to 7PM daily and you can walk-in during those hours. You can also call us at 402-234-2473 or e-mail us at [email protected] for assistance.
Due to the high risk of injuries, frostbite, and hypothermia, weโd like all babies from this storm to come to NWR first. Once stabilized, the great-horned owlets will be transferred to Raptor Conservation Alliance (RCA). If baby squirrels are uninjured and are candidates for reunification with their mothers, we will work with you to get them home again. We will also have staff on-hand Wednesday to help facilitate reunifications.
๐ฝ๐๐๐ฎ ๐จ๐ฆ๐ช๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ก๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ง. Migration is beginning and injuries to adult birds are very common when winds are this high. Please keep an eye out for grounded and injured birds. If you can catch them, please bring them to NWR at the address above. If you have any questions, just reach out!
It takes all of us to help wildlife when storms like these strike. Thank you for your caring about Nebraskaโs native wildlife!
