Squirrels have young from January to September, and the babies will usually stay with their parents for up to four months. To find food for the offspring, squirrel parents often have to incur long distances, which often lead over busy roads or urban areas. This is a great danger for both the parents and young squirrels: if the squirrel parents are run over or injured, the babies are left alone – and they need help to survive.

Unlike many other wild animals, squirrels seek proximity to humans in emergency situations. They run after walkers, sometimes they even cling to them. This is neither aggressive behaviour nor a sign of illness! It is just a cry for help from the little squirrel. If a young animal draws attention to itself in this way, you should never ignore it.

The best thing to do is to bring the little one in experienced and competent hands immediately. If this is not possible so quickly, feed it with a little fennel tea (slightly sweetened with honey) to avoid dehydration of the animal. The squirrel can lick the liquid from your (previously well disinfected) hands. Then you should go back to the site and look for other siblings. If the parents died, they may also be in danger.