08/27/2026
It’s Ziggy! 🐿️❤️
Remember this little goofball from last year?
Ziggy and another tiny fox squirrel came into care within just a few days of each other, right in the middle of fall tree-trimming season. Both had been displaced when their nest were cut down, and although we did everything we could to give their mamas the opportunity to come back for them, reunion was ultimately unsuccessful.
It’s a story that plays out far too often during tree-trimming season, and a good reminder of just how much life can be tucked away in the branches above us.
Before trimming or removing a tree, please ask your tree company to take a few extra minutes to look carefully for active nests. That seemingly small act can be the difference between a family staying together and tiny babies suddenly finding themselves without a home or their mother.
And if a nest does accidentally come down, finding babies doesn’t necessarily mean they need to be brought into rehabilitation. If they’re warm, uninjured, and the area is safe, giving mama the opportunity to retrieve them should always be our first goal. Please don't hesitate to reach out for guidance on how to reunite: I am always happy to help.
Mother squirrels are incredibly devoted, and they will return for their babies one by one, carrying them off to a backup nest somewhere nearby. As much time, love, and care as we pour into raising these little ones, the very best place for a baby squirrel is still with its mother.
Of course, sometimes we do everything right and reunion simply doesn’t happen. And in Ziggy’s case, that meant his story became intertwined with ours for a little while.
As he grew, so did that enormous personality of his.
He was endlessly curious, wonderfully ridiculous, and always seemed to be doing something worth grabbing the camera for. His antics gave us countless pictures and videos along the way, and somewhere between all of that growing, climbing, playing, and general squirrel chaos, he became one of those babies who seemed to stick in everyone’s memory.
Eventually, though, Ziggy did exactly what we had spent all that time preparing him to do: he ventured out on his own and created a home for himself.
There’s something incredibly special about seeing an animal you once held in your hands become part of the wild world again. We spend so much time worrying over them, feeding them, watching them grow, and preparing them for a life that ultimately won’t include us.
And then the day finally comes when we've taught all that we can, provided all that we could, and are at the point where continuing to care for them is inadvertently hindering their development instead of helping...so we open the cage, watch them disappear into the trees, and hope we did enough.
One of the sweetest parts of his story is that we still get little glimpses into the life he built afterward.
Every month or so, a kind woman named Debra sends me an update. After his release, Ziggy gradually made his way toward her property, apparently decided he liked what he found, and established his home base somewhere nearby. She still sees him regularly, out there living the wonderfully ordinary life of a wild fox squirrel.
As another tree-trimming season approaches, maybe his story can serve as a little reminder to look up before we cut. There may be an entire tiny family hidden among those branches, and they deserve the chance to stay together.
Please share Ziggy’s story and help us spread the word: check for nests before you trim, and always give mama a chance to come back. 💕
