Texas Squirrels Rehab In Oklahoma

By Rick Wells, The News On 6

CLAREMORE, OK -- Last week The News On 6 reported on an orphaned squirrel evacuated from Texas to Tulsa, in the wake of Hurricane Ike.  The Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in Houston has rounded up dozens more and dropped them off at rehab facilities in Texas and in Oklahoma.  There are 55 hungry little babies at the Wild Heart Ranch in Rogers County.

"Every tub you see on a heat pad is full of squirrels," said Annette Tucker with Wild Heart Ranch Wildlife Rescue.

Annette Tucker operates the Wild Heart Ranch animal rehab facility in Rogers County. She's been working on the project for 12 years and has taken in more than 11,000 thousand.

The Wildlife Center in Houston rounded up hundreds of orphaned babies and headed north looking for help.  They parceled them out to licensed rehabilitators along the way.  Annette says she was prepared for a couple of hundred, but is thankful there are fewer than that.

"We have 55.  These are three of the 55," said Annette Tucker with Wild Heart Ranch Wildlife Rescue.

They are being fed a special formula usually used for puppies, but it works well for other small mammals.

These little babies are understandably frightened and probably disoriented, but they are taking to the formula.

"All you have to have to get a wild baby to feed is, I'm hungrier than I am afraid," said Annette Tucker with Wild Heart Ranch Wildlife Rescue.

She says they'll probably be here about 8 weeks.  It'll take that long to fatten them up and get them strong enough to be released.  And then, she'll take them back to Texas and turn them loose.

Wild Heart Ranch isn't just for the squirrels.  Lola, a deer, came here in such bad shape and took so long to rehab that she couldn't be released.  So, now she has the run of the place.

"Everybody needs to have a purpose here to make the world a better place to others.  This is ours," said Annette Tucker with Wild Heart Ranch Wildlife Rescue.

The Wild Heart Ranch could use some shelled pecans to help with the rehab of the squirrel babies.

For more information on the Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in Houston, click here.