The Northern Colorado Wildlife Center plays a vital role in the region, helping to rescue and provide rehabilitation to many different kinds of animals on a daily basis.

On February 28, the team assisted in the rescue of four adorable baby fox squirrels that had fallen approximately 20-feet from their nest in a tree to the ground. The nest was accidentally knocked down by tree trimmers working in the area of the intersection of Mountain Avenue and Shields Street in Fort Collins.

The baby squirrels suffered severe trauma from the fall. Rescuers first attempted to warm the young mammals up, since they were ice cold and on the brink of death. Unfortunately, one of the babies was too far gone by the time the team got to her and she passed away. Once the others warmed up a bit, the team provided them with emergency stabilization, which included clearing blood from their airways and helping them to empty their bladders.

The team from the Northern Colorado Wildlife Center then opted to transport the three remaining babies to the Rocky Mountain WildHeart Wildlife Rehab and Exotic Pet Sanctuary in Colorado Springs. NCWC staff chose this location because it was the closest facility that wouldn't euthanize the squirrels.

Sadly, another baby died during transport due to a collapsed airway. Rescuers were not able to come to its aid quickly enough when it happened.

The other two babies made it safely to the Colorado Springs wildlife rehabilitation center. At this facility, they have the best possible chance to recover from their injuries.

The rehabilitators that responded to the incident made sure to educate the tree trimming company on what they could have done differently. Foliage should always be professionally checked before having work done.

It is actually illegal to intentionally move or destroy most nests in the state of Colorado.

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