It’s hard enough for a small animal to survive in the wild, but imagine how much harder it gets when that animal is hurt. It’s inevitable for them to face tough odds and dire situations, especially without a human there to offer a helping hand.
However, when a hand meets a paw, miracles can happen!
Sometimes injuries can be so severe that they threaten the life of the poor animal in the wild. The injury can be fatal or even leave an animal in a crippling condition.
Nature is wonderful, but it can also be cruel. A little squirrel was attacked by an owl, and her injuries were dire.
Bella, the squirrel, was just 4 weeks old when she suffered the attack of an owl and came out of it with severe injuries.
Without the help of humans, she wouldn’t have made it…
Lucky for Bella, a wildlife rescue group in Greenville County, South Carolina, found her, and their volunteer Brantley Harrison welcomed her with open arms.
Brantley and his family often help animals in need to recover and recuperate, so they didn’t hesitate one bit to help out this poor, little squirrel.
Boy, were they in for a surprise…
At the time, they had no idea how much Bella was going to impact and change their lives.
When Bella was rescued, Brantley and his family did their best to provide her with treatment and everything she needed to get better.
Even after she recovered from her injuries, she stayed with them since she was too young to fend for herself in the wild.
In the meantime, these kind rescue volunteers helped three other squirrels, naming them Curly, Moe, and Larry. All four squirrels were released together once they were old enough.
Until then, they lived together, enjoying all the fruits and nuts their caregivers provided. They enjoyed their outdoor cage and Brantley catered to them, giving them bottles and formula, like they were his babies.
Brantley was like that, his nature was nurturing and caring and at the time, it seemed like there was nothing special about Bella. There were four little squirrels, recovering nicely, preparing for the life they were meant to live.
Bella was just like the rest, Brantley was happy that all of the squirrels were recovering nicely and that was it. He knew they would do their best to help them and prepare them for life outside.
Who would have thought that this little squirrel would be special in any way, let alone so special that she would change their lives forever. Brantley recalls how he felt, saying in an interview:
“Her personality was not any different than any other squirrel I have ever raised while she was in my care. The main objective is to return them all back into the wild so I never treated her like a pet. She acted no different than the others.”
Once he set the four squirrels free, they were all so happy, running up and down the trees and off to explore their new surroundings. Within the first week, all the squirrels had adjusted and were wandering around their new wild environment.
But one of them, Bella, was not ready to part from her human family just yet. Brantley remembers:
“She started to come back for a treat or two within days of being released. The others came back too for a few days which is very typical and then after a week or so they usually stop coming by and getting close to you. Bella sits right at the front door waiting for someone to notice she has come by for a visit. She has even resorted to jumping over to the dining room window to peer in for someone to see her.”
Now, years after her rescue, Bella still comes to visit them – her human family!
Every time she comes, she stays for a bit. She loves to hang around and won’t say ‘no’ to any nut or treat they give her. She won’t cuddle or anything like that, but she loves to climb on Brantley and the others, she just loves being around them.
Likewise, the family loves it when Bella comes by, they enjoy her company as much as she loves theirs.
She’s like a member of the family now. Whenever she stops by, Brantley gets so excited and rushes in and out of the house. He goes back in to get some nuts and back out to spend some time with Bella.
No matter what he has to do, he always finds the time for her when she comes by.
One time over the years, Bella injured her foot and once again her human family helped her recover. However, this time, just when she was about to be set free again, Bella gave birth to her own babies. As Brantley says:
“It was truly amazing to watch the baby I raised raise her own babies.”
Bella gave birth to three baby squirrels, and her human family helped them all. She stayed with them until her babies were old enough to join her in the wild.
I guess Bella knew where to go when she needed help. Brantley’s kindness and compassion stayed with her and she felt safe and confident enough to reach out to them again and again.
How amazing is this? A story full of twists and turns, and thanks to Brantley and his family, everything turned out for the best!