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By Mail On Sunday Reporter


What's this? The squirrel admires the pumpkin hanging in mid-air from a string before sticking his head inside to see if it's a trick or treat

Meet the grey squirrel who’s going nuts about Halloween...

It is fascinated by Vicky Freeman’s hollowed-out pumpkin, trying to work out whether it’s a treat to get its teeth into or a mere trick suspended by a piece of string.

For minutes on end, it jumps inside the pumpkin, then out again.


Hanging on: The squirrel uses his paws to suspend himself from the inside of the cut out pumpkin

‘Since I put the pumpkin out, the squirrel’s been visiting my garden every day,’ said Mrs Freeman, 53, of Fareham, Hampshire.

'I always hang up a pumpkin in the garden for my grandchildren at Halloween but I didn't expect such an inquisitive squirrel to try it on.'

While this squirrel has developed a taste for pumpkin, previously two squirrels in Fareham took a shine to coconuts places in a resident's garden.

Jane Roberts put the coconuts out for the squirrels, who much like the creature above loved stick their heads into them to get at the tasty treat inside.


source:dailymail

By DANIEL MILLER

You're a bit of all-white: The rare albino squirrel loves to admire herself in the mirror

This albino squirrel clearly thinks she's the fairest of them all after rescue-centre staff named her Snow White and placed a mirror in her enclosure.

The plucky critter was saved from certain death after being attacked by two grey squirrels who wanted to banish her from their woodland.

She was taken to the Hart Wildlife Rescue near Alton in Hampshire where staff named her Snow White after unusual appearance.


Give me a hug: Snow White has been nursed back to health after being attacked by a pair of vicious grey squirrels

Caragh Hunter, Senior Clinical Assistant at the centre said: 'She had blood coming from her nose and was in a very poor way when she came in.

'We put a small mirror in her cage so we could keep an eye on her wherever she was hiding.

'She began looking in it almost straight away. After three days on painkillers and antibiotics she was right as rain.


Double take: Snow White poses up in front of her mirror as she waits to be sent to a squirrel sanctuary

'We have now moved her to a larger enclosure and given her a bigger mirror. She just loves looking at herself in it.

'I'm sure she's asking the mirror 'who is the fairest of them all?

'In the fairy tale, Snow White marries her prince and becomes the new Queen - she's certainly become queen of hart.

'Albinos don't have very good eyesight - and are often picked on by others in the wild.

'She's been with us for a few weeks now and will soon be off to a squirrel sanctuary where she'll be able to spend the rest of her days in safety.'


Bright-red eyed and bushy tailed: Albino squirrels suffer from poor vision and are often picked on in the wild


source: dailymail

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Extreme eating: After polishing off the food put out for her this wily squirrel moved on to a more challenging meal

With its fearsome metal bottom and two layers of chicken wire for added protection, this bird feeder was definitely squirrel proof.

Or so photographer Bruce Lemons thought.

But after clocking this crafty critter, who went to extraordinary lengths to steal seeds from his garden in Austin, Texas, Mr Lemons better go back to the drawing board.

The 48-year-old was stunned when he saw the cheeky squirrel, who had somehow managed to squeeze herself inside the specially designed bird feeder upside down before chowing down on some seeds.

What's more, the unsatisfied female had already emptied a device Mr Lemons had built especially for squirrels before moving in on the bird food.

Mr Lemons said it was the latest in a long-running 'friendly' battle he is having over access to the feeder.

He said: 'The squirrels have their own feeder, but consistently clean that one out promptly and move on to deciphering my latest defences to deplete the bird feeder as well.


source: dailymail

By Chris Slack


Safe and sound: The four baby red squirrels sleep in their bed at the rescue centre. They were found by a passer-by after being blown from their tree-top nest by high winds


When your companions are so soft and inviting it must be hard to resist snuggling up to them like this.

And these four baby red squirrels have a closer bond than most after surviving being just hours from death.

They were blown out of their tree-top nest by high winds as Britain was struck by the tail-end of Hurricane Katia last week.


The squirrels, who are just five weeks old, were found by a passer-by in the aftermath of the gale-force winds.

The rescued animals were taken to a vets' surgery in nearby Alnwick, Northumberland before being sent to the Sanctuary Wildlife Care Centre at Ulgham near Morpeth.

Sanctuary owner Kim Olson said that if the animals had not been found they would have died within hours, attacked by either magpies of cats.

She added that the animals, which weighed just 70grams, had gone into shock and were very sleepy and still.

The woman who found the baby squirrels was not able to find their mother and sanctuary workers fear that she may still be looking for her offspring.

Before they can be released the five-week-old animals need round the clock care and are being looked after by volunteer Eileen Welsh at her home.

A bit of a handful: The five week old kittens play on volunteer Eileen Walsh's arm at her home

Give us a kiss: One of the baby squirrels give its friend a peck on the cheek

Thirsty work: One of the squirrels drinks his latest bottle of goat's milk, which he is fed at three hour intervals


She uses a tiny bottle to feed them goat's milk every three hours and will continue to care for them over winter.

Kim said: 'At this time of year the squirrels would be collecting food for winter but even if we released them in November they wouldn't have enough time.

'We're planning to release them gradually back into the wild next spring at our special unit, which is at a secret location in Northumberland.

'They're doing absolutely brilliantly now, they're extremely lively and mischievous.'


Refreshment: With drops of milk across his face, this squirrel takes its turn to be fed by Eileen


The sanctuary cares for injured and abandoned wildlife, as well as many unwanted farm animals and pets. It currently has 150 animals.

The centre also organises special days for children with special educational needs or behavioural issues.

It was established by Kim, 49 and her husband, Alan Petterson, in 1993 but struggling to find the £70,000 a year running costs Kim fears that the sanctuary's days are numbered.

She said: 'We're probably the largest animal sanctuary in the whole of the North East.

'We look after so much wildlife; we've got a badger cub, young foxes and injured birds of prey.

'"It's a bleak future for North East wildlife if we don't pull through.'



source:dailymail

By DUNCAN MACPHERSON

Hide and squeak: A squirrel gets his head stuck in the lens hood of one of Tatyana Zherebtsova's cameras in Vernadsky Park, Simpferopol, Ukraine

This cheeky squirrel looks ready for his extreme close-up - after going nuts for the camera and getting his head stuck down the lens.

The bright-eyed, bushy-tailed scamp was playfully darting around a park before taking an interest in photographer Tatyana Zherebtsova and her family who were eating nuts.

And after chasing the tasty treats thrown his way and hiding them in a tree, he decided to investigate her camera.


I'm bushed: After extricating itself from the lens hood, the squirrel appears to be trying to lift the camera


But the inquisitive squirrel almost got more than he bargained for when he nearly got stuck in the hood of the lens after poking his head too far down it.

Tatyana, from Simferopol, southern Ukraine, said: 'I was in the park with my husband taking some shots of squirrels darting around the park as they were making us laugh.

'At the start we were just feeding them with nuts. We threw them quite near and it took the nuts and ran away to hide them in a tree.

'One of our cameras was in the same place where we had thrown some nuts while he was away hiding the others.


You've been framed: The inquisitive rodent takes a closer look at photographer Tatyana's camera


'When it got back it tried to find the nuts and when it couldn't it came across my camera.

'I think it was looking for the nuts in the camera and almost got stuck as he had his head in the lens for a long time - either that or he liked seeing his own reflection.'

Tatyana, who captured the moment in Vernadsky Park in Simpferopol, is a wedding photographer who enjoys taking pictures of wildlife in her spare time.

She added: 'I love to capture animals. When you photograph animals in the wild the main thing is always luck.'

source: allkpop

By Daily Mail Reporter


Up close and personal: The squirrel takes a peek at the camera lens


They normally tend to keep clear of humans, only venturing near if there is a promise of food.

But this vain squirrel clearly had no qualms about getting up close and personal, as it seemed intent on having its picture taken.

The preening rodent was quite content to be snapped, while it struck a number of poses so the camera could capture its best side.

Ready for its close up: The inquisitive squirrel was enthralled by the snapping camera

Strike a pose: The rodent pulled a variety of shapes, but refused to let go of its precious nut


With its bright eyes and bushy tail the friendly squirrel was happy to be snapped in Kelsey Park in Beckenham, South London.

And while some animals are a little camera shy, this one was even happy to be papped while it chomped away on nuts.

It peered inquisitively at the lens, but refused to relinquish its precious nut.
Grey squirrels are notorious for displacing red squirrels in European woodlands.

Does my tail look big in this? The very friendly squirrel was happy to be photographed in such close contact with humans


Make sure you get my best side! The squirrel does a turn before springing off


But they aren't aggressive to native UK red squirrels, they're just bigger and bolder, as this cheeky chappy clearly demonstrates.

They have become increasingly tame as they come into contact with humans on a more regular basis in parks and gardens.

They out-compete the native reds for food, feeding more at ground level and being able to digest acorns, which their fellow reds can't.



source:dailymail

By Daily Mail Reporter


Squatter: A cheeky young squirrel seems to be making it clear that this bird box is his now as he smiles for the camera


Moving into your own home is usually a good excuse for a party.

But once this creature had squirrelled away his nuts and seeds, there was only one guest invited to the housewarming – his mum.

Christine Haines, who watched the baby grey squirrel take over the bird box in her garden in Spokane, Washington, U.S., believed he was ‘calling for his mother’ to visit when she caught him on camera.


The baby grey squirrel was looking for some shelter and came across this box complete with a perfect look-out hole for him to poke his head out of.

And he was so pleased with his new abode he smiled straight at the camera as a sharp-eyed resident spotted the fury squatter in her garden.

With his grey paws resting on the side of the box, mouth wide open and bright eyes sparkling the youngster looks at ease with his new wooden surroundings.

Photographer Christine Haines was confronted with the cheeky youngster in her backyard.

She believed he was calling for his mother to come and see his new home.

Experts say squirrels are natural predators for birds - and will do anything they can to get their paws on bird food.


Cheeky: The baby squirrel peers out of a nest box in Spokane in Washington and was calling for its mother


Mrs Haines said: 'My husband had constructed nest boxes in our yard to attract Northern Flicker birds.

'One day I heard a strange noise coming from one of the boxes. I looked up and saw a young squirrel peering out.

'I grabbed my camera and was able to capture a few pictures with its mouth open. I believe the young squirrel was calling for its mother.'

She used a Canon EOS 40D and a 100-400mm lens to take the photo.


source:dailymail

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Natural acrobats: Squirrels have the ability to pull off amazing stunts with minimal effort


They are the natural acrobats of the animal kingdom and have the ability to pull off amazing stunts with minimal effort.

But as these extraordinary images show Britain's barmy squirrels show no signs of slowing down.

The amazing acrobatic antics, which show the lengths squirrels will go to in a bid to nab their nuts, were captured on camera by professional wildlife photographer, Brian Bevan.

The set, taken last Autumn near Brian's house in Bedfordshire, includes a unique shot of one of Britain's iconic grey squirrels jumping over the camera.


Mirror image: The images show the lengths squirrels will go to in a bid to nab their nuts


There are also images of the agile rodents flying impressively through the air and balancing tentatively on branches.

Brian, who is also an art teacher, started photographing wildlife when he inherited his first camera from his grandfather more than 50 years ago.

The 61-year-old said he was inspired to do the shoot as a way of showing grey squirrels, which are often considered to be nuisance, in a different light.

He said: 'I absolutely love wildlife but we've all seen pictures of squirrels just sitting around time and time again and I wanted to do something different.

'I was trying to capture a moment frozen in time, which people don't normally get to see and hopefully I've managed that.


Leap of faith: Brian Bevan started photographing wildlife when he inherited his first camera from his grandfather more than 50 years ago


'It takes patience but it wasn't really difficult getting the pictures because squirrels are much more co-operative when they have something to do.

'Autumn is the ideal time to do this sort of thing because they are busying collecting and burying nuts so they are very active which potentially makes for great photographs.'


Jump around: Mr Bevan said he was inspired to do the shoot as a way of showing grey squirrels, which are often considered to be nuisance, in a different light


Hanging out: A grey squirrel hangs from a branch as he reaches to pick up a nut


source: dailymail

By Daily Mail Reporter


Ex-squirrel-ate! This squirrel looks like a dalek in disguise as it gets its head inside the novel feeder


Ex-squirrel-ate! This squirrel looked like he was impersonating one of television's most famous baddies when he stuck his head inside a bizarre Dalek-shaped feeder.

The novel creation, which had been stuffed with peanuts, was made by sci-fi fan Chris Balcombe.

The 51-year-old from Dibden Purlieu, Hants., collects Doctor Who original props and owns two full-sized versions of the Time Lord's greatest foe. He fashioned the feeder from an old Dalek model.


He said: 'Squirrels are ingenious creatures and will seek out food wherever it's hidden. I thought it would be interesting to see what this one made of the dalek.

'The peanuts are held in place by a wire mesh, so the squirrel has to get his head completely inside to get them.

'Over the last week, the squirrel gradually got used to the bird table's new addition, and was soon stuffing its head right into the dalek to eat all the nuts.

Out of this world: The Dalek-shaped feeder contains peanuts held in place by a wire mesh


'At one point, he looked as if he was wedged in there, but the dalek is made from rubber so he freed himself without much trouble.'

Mr Balcombe said other bird table visitors had been less certain of the alien introduction.

'A pigeon and a jay landed to have a look, but kept well clear of the dalek,' he said.

'The peanuts are really only there for the squirrel.

'At this time of year, young birds can choke on peanuts if they try and eat them whole.'

Sci-fi DIY: The alien bird feeder is the creation of sci-fi fan Chris Balcombe, who collects Doctor Who original props and merchandise and owns two full-sized versions of the Time Lord's greatest foe


source:dailymail

The mother squirrel carries her baby across a branch to a nest she had just finished building


This baby squirrel coils up into a tiny ball while his doting mother gently carries him across a branch and to the safety of his nest.

The affectionate parent was taking her young son to their dray by softly picking him up by her mouth as he clung on to her fur.

The mother, an African tree squirrel, scurried along the branch with her child wrapped around her and took him to a new nest she had just finished building.

Father-of-one Morkel Erasmus captured the intimate moments while in a park after he noticed movement high up in the tree.

Morkel, 28, who was on holiday with his wife, said he just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

He said: 'We were driving around on a quiet loop along the river when suddenly I noticed movement up a large tree.

'There was this squirrel scuttling along a thick branch and immediately I saw something was strange - her face looked huge.

'After looking through my camera lens I noticed what was going on. The African tree squirrel was carrying her young son in a most unusual manner.

'It seemed that she was holding the child with a biting grip to its tummy, while the child was clinging on to her with all its might.


The young animal coils up into a tiny ball as its mother, an African tree squirrel, takes him to their dray


'It was to prevent him falling off the branch and possibly becoming some predator's lunch.

'You can see it gripping tightly, so I also doubt that the young one was sleeping on the move and they were quite high up the tree.

'She was moving it from an old nest to a better, safer nesting site.'

Morkel, from Secunda, near Johannesburg, South Africa, made the discovery in the Kruger National Park.


The affectionate parent was spotted in South Africa's Kruger National Park


He added: 'I am a firm believer that you don't need to see something "traditionally spectacular" like a leopard or elephant in order to enjoy an excellent sighting in the wild.

'Even the smallest creatures can provide hours of fun and excellent photographic opportunities.

'I love the way the photo speaks to the human heart.

'We all remember the nurturing we received from our parents and how it shaped our lives, it echoes in us when we see animals doing the same in the wilderness.

'If we had been dead set on seeing a leopard we would have driven past this amazing sight without blinking.'

source: dailymail

By Daily Mail Reporter



Clever: The red squirrel takes its lunch of nuts to the ready-made platform - a Razor Strip Fungus - and feasts in these shots captured by Mark Hancox

This is the moment a clever squirrel balances a hoard of nuts on a giant fungus growing out of a tree and uses it - as a PLATTER.

The red squirrel scampered down the birch tree and perched on top of the Razor Strop Fungus which also served as a handy watch tower.

Wildlife photographer Mark Hancox, 48, captured the incredible moment while he was on an expedition to the Cairngorms in Scotland two weeks ago

He waited for seven hours in a hide he built 20 metres away from the tree to get the remarkable set of shots.

Mark, from Hartlebury, Worcs., said: 'I love going to the Cairngorms because you never know what wildlife you might see.

'I was actually looking for a rare bird when I came across this large fungus sticking out of a tree about four feet off the ground.

'It must have been about half-a-foot in diameter and about an inch thick.

'I took some close-up snaps of it just for my own records because I thought its shape and size were interesting when I spotted some chewed nuts on it.

'I put two and two together and realised it must be some kind of natural shelf which is being used by a squirrel.

'I set up a hide far enough away from the tree to stay unheard and waited.

'After seven hours I spotted this little red squirrel poke his head out from the top of the tree and scamper down to the fungus.

'He jumped on top of it and started eating his nuts which he’d left on it. It was quite amazing and just shows how ingenious these animals are.'


Source:dailymail

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Treasure: The cheeky squirrel has a look round the cage to get to its prize


This is supposed to be a 'squirrel proof' bird feeder, but it didn't out-smart one particularly crafty critter when he turned up in a British garden.

The feeder had flummoxed his friends but this clever creature was determined not to be beaten.

After some careful negotiation of the extraordinary-looking feeder in front of him, the squirrel cracked it by squeezing his fat body through the protective wiring.

His incredible feat was captured on camera by Sandra Carter in her garden in Gosport, Hampshire, who snapped away as he rewarded himself with the bird nuts inside.

The 57-year-old support worker said the grey squirrel had become a regular visitor in recent months.

She and her husband, Richard, 63, invested in the £19.95 Gardman 'squirrel proof' feeders after watching the greedy animal devour the nuts from all their other feeders.

They hoped the space-age looking design, which protects the bird nuts with a wire globe, would be a strong enough deterrent.

But they were stunned when they peered out of the window one day and saw the squirrel had worked his way around it.


Greedy: The cage's manufacturers say the squirrel will soon be too fat to fit between the bars


Ms Carter said: 'This particular squirrel is very greedy and very clever.
'He comes into the garden a dozen times a day to eat from the bird feeders.

'The poor birds hardly get a look in - they just sit in the surrounding trees waiting for him to finish.

'We've tried so many things to stop him - we tried making our own 'squirrel proof' feeders but he always work them out.

'Once we tried hanging bird feeders on wires out of his reach but he managed to get to them by tight-rope walking.

'When we saw a "squirrel proof" feeder on sale we thought it was the answer to all our problems.


Squeeze: The squirrel manages to get its head and body through one of the wider holes in the middle of the cage


'We bought one first to test it and, initially, it seemed to work so we bought another one.

'But I peered out of the window one day and was stunned to see he was inside one of the feeders, eating all the nuts.

'And it wasn't long before he figured out the other one, which contained seeds.
'We thought it would be a little harder for him to feed from because it has a plastic covering.

'But he simply shakes it from side to side until the food comes out of the holes.

'My husband has since tried to put more wire on the outside of both feeders to make the holes smaller but it hasn't worked.' When Ms Carter wrote to Gardman to inform them of what had happened she was refunded the cost of both feeders.


Victory! It manages to squeeze its whole body into the cage to get its reward


She said: 'I wrote to them and said it was perhaps time to go back to the drawing board with the design and they gave me my money back.

'My husband and I have now given up trying to outwit the squirrel.

'It is very frustrating but you can't deny he's a clever little animal and I admire his tenacity.'

Jane Lawler, marketing director at Gardman, said: 'Our squirrel proof feeder is designed to keep squirrels out but to let as many birds as possible into the feeder.

'Very occasionally, some skinnier squirrels squeeze through and with all the extra food this one is eating, it won't fit through the bars for long.'


source: dailymail

By MAIL FOREIGN SERVICE

Stocking up for winter: The oversized squirrel who has been targeting the feeding stations at a back garden in Michigan


While the rest of the squirrels in the garden tend to put a few nuts aside for the winter, this tubby customer clearly believes in eating them all at once.

He is a regular visitor to the feeding stations kept well stocked by animal lover James Phelps. Too regular, in fact.

Mr Phelps, 51, has seen the fox squirrel, a native of North America, become so overweight that a low-calorie diet would seem to be required.

‘He became used to me being around and probably associated me with food,’ he said at his home in Michigan.

‘I would usually feed him myself, but sometimes my wife would help out. She also became fond of him because he’s so cute.


Poised... for another snack: The squirrel has been a regular visitor to James Phelps' garden in Michigan


‘Many mornings he would be waiting for me to bring out the food, lounging on the deck looking into the house. Often he would stand and beg for more.

‘He makes a great subject for photography. He has great expressions, is curious and very smart. He’s the best-fed squirrel in Michigan and I guess that’s the reason he got so big.’


source: dailymail

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Pinned down: The squirrel used its meerkat mate as a cushion at a South African animal sanctuary


This affectionate pair weren't about to let their different backgrounds get in the way of a cuddle.

A meerkat and a squirrel make for strange bedfellows, but in a quiet corner of a South African animal sanctuary they were having a ball.

And judging by the serene expression of the meerkat's face, he rather enjoyed the attention of his pen friend as night-time fell.

The pair had been seeking shelter together when they were caught on camera by amateur photographer Heikki Lehvaslaiho, who was visiting the sanctuary with his family.

He didn't manage to discover the true nature of of the animals' relationship but was delighted with the picture of cosy creature comforts.

Perhaps the squirrel was just indulging in a game of Compare The Meerkat.


source: dailymail