Topic: squirrel disease?

[norfolklass]

just got back from a weekend at my mum's in Herts. she gets lots of grey squirrels in her garden every day, but yesterday there was a grey squirrel behaving oddly. he was on the ground but walking rather than doing that bounding thing they normally do, and as we watched he blundered into a couple of pots and through some plants, as if he couldn't see where he was going. he obviously knew his way around the garden and found his way to the bird bath on the ground, but he sort of blundered into it, then sat in the water and had a drink. he found his way to a patch of peanuts that had fallen from a feeder and started eating them. as he was eating and drinking we were hoping that maybe he was just elderly, but I think there was definitely something wrong with him.

when he was sitting still on the ground his head sort of listed to one side, then he'd straighten it up, then it would tilt over again. I was wondering if he'd been clipped by a car. he sort of wandered around a bit more, definitely unable to navigate by sight, then another squirrel came into the garden and they had a bit of a scrap. the poorly squirrel made it up onto the top of the fence where he sat and shivered for ages, then eventually fell asleep. about an hour later, he came down the fence and wandered around until he found the water and the peanuts, drank and ate, then wandered around some more. I called the RSPCA but there wasn't a lot they could do, so my mum and I decided to let nature take its course and leave him be. eventually he found his way out of my mum's garden and we didn't see him again. I spoke to her a couple of hours ago and she said she'd seen him wandering around in the road, and sadly he got hit by a car.

a few weeks ago, someone sent me a link to a video on youtube called drunk squirrel that was of a squirrel trying to climb up a tree. he was at the base and every time he put his front feet on the trunk he toppled over sideways or backwards, as if he was drunk. now I'm wondering if there's some horrible squirrel brain virus out there, like myxamatosis...

has anyone else seen any squirrels behaving weirdly?

[Robert_Brenchley]

No, but I wouldn't mind if something did kill off the greys. As long as the reds are OK!

[honeybee]

Must have been horrid to watch Norfolklass  :'(

I have squirells in my garden and know what a pain they can be, but thier antics also make me chuckle so much too  :D :D
And i would have certainly hated to witness what you did,poor little fella sounds like he was really suffering  :'(

[Tin Shed]

Sounds like a suirrel version of mad cow disease - I remember seeing a cow with it on television, they sort of lurched around etc.

[valmarg]

I'm with you R_B.  The greys are vermin, and as such should be culled into extinction in the UK.

They do more harm to the songbird population than all the crow family put together.

valmarg

[dazdread]

Grey squirrels and numerous other animals are listed as vermin which means if you give them to a charity or a vet they are not allowed to release them again.

[moudie]

"I'm wondering if there's some horrible squirrel brain virus out there, like myxamatosis..."Let's hope so. >:(

[Marian]

Aaaaaw Norfolklass, I am with you on this one.  I know that the gray squirrels are classed as "vermin" for various reasons, but they have the right to live too.  We could say the same of crocodiles, etc. that decimate other wildlife.

I am not sure what could cause the affliction you have described but it does sound like some sort of brain disease, who knows.  Maybe it is a blessing in disguise that the poor little things was knocked down by a car, quick and efficient.  Otherwise, who knows, he could have carried on suffering a terrible death.
 :'( :'(

[norfolklass]

thanks Marian!

I didn't realise that people felt so strongly about them – personally I like them but then I've never lived in an area where they've decimated or destroyed the red squirrel population.
my mum gets quite a few in her garden, maximum at one time is 5 so far, and they're quite tame now, we both really enjoy watching them going about their squirrely business.
fortunately I've never seen one attacking nesting birds and stealing eggs or chicks either or I might feel a little differently, or maybe not. I'm afraid I like them and hate to see ANY creature suffering, even if it is classed as vermin.

I did a bit of googling but the only thing I could find was info about a squirrel pox. the description said it caused skin lesions and the squirrel in my mum's garden looked perfectly healthy so it wasn't that. depending on who you believe this is either carried by greys and kills reds, or affects both greys and reds but the greys have developed immunity more quickly. sounds awful though :(

rabbits do occasionally get into my allotment plot but I wouldn't wish myxamatosis on them, either :(

[Tin Shed]

I hope the poorly squirrel was a one off, not the beginning of a horrible virus that can spread.

[RobinOfTheHood]

Maybe it had eaten rat poison? I've seen rats behave like this after eating it.. ???