My Friend Ox and the Baby Squirrel

I have this friend that I call ox. Now, Ox is a big man and he looks like he could probably take care of himself in a dust up, but that's just not his nature. Ox is a good man and always tries to do what's right and he's a great friend.

Last Friday, we were sitting on Ox's porch when suddenly something caught his eye moving on the steps. Close inspection revealed that the motion was a baby squirrel. I mean this little guy was tiny. Ox went to the steps and reached his hand out  to the baby. To my surprise the squirrel just climbed right into Ox's giant hand like it was his nest.

Well, Ox sat there petting that squirrel for a long time and decided that it was probably an orphan. We got busy making a nest for the little guy. We took and old cardboard box and Ox sacrificed one of his flannel shirts and used it for the actual nest. The little critter snuggled right in like he knew this home was for him.

Well, old Ox got busy looking up information about baby squirrel. He went and got some bread and started feeding the baby bread, but he knew that wasn't going to cut it, so Ox hauls himself out to the store for an eye dropper and some puppy food. There was this mountain of a man sitting there holding a tiny baby squirrel in his big hands and feeding it with an eye dropper,

The next day I went back to Ox's house and he told me that in interest of actually saving the baby, he took it to Heckhaven Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Lake Charles. Ox told me that they specialize in taking care of wild animals and, after the animals are treated, they are slowly introduced back into the wild. Ox spoke very highly of the facility and the folks who work there.

Ox told me of one animal that really stood out and that is a brown pelican that was released back into the wild. The folks at Heckhaven told him that that brown pelican still comes back to the center every year.How cool is that?

If, like Ox, you find a wild animal, be sure to take it to Heckhaven and they'll see that it greats care and returned back into its habitat. I, for one, didn't know such a place existed in this area. Cool organization and a great service.

Here's more on Heckhaven