A Squirrel Has Visited the Human That Saved Her From an Owl Chase for the Past 8 Years to Say Thanks

5 years ago

Thousands of people think the squirrel featured in today’s article is adorable, but what they don’t know is that her story holds a very exciting secret. She was found in serious condition after suffering an owl chase, and the bond she created with the woman who rescued her has remained unbreakable for more than 8 years. In fact, this furry friend visits her constantly.

Bright Side wants to share the story of Bella with you, a squirrel with a special soft side for humans. Don’t miss the bonus at the end of the article.

An owl left the baby squirrel in serious condition.

Bella was a 1-month-old baby when an owl chased her and left her severely injured. If it wasn’t for the rescue group that found her, she would not have survived alone in the wild.

Rescuers relied on Brantley Harrison, a member of the Be Willie Kind animal care association, to help Bella get back on her feet. The squirrel joined 3 other rehabbing squirrels, Larry, Moe, and Curly, and that’s how she found her way into the Harrison family’s home and heart.

Bella was released from the home but didn’t want to leave Brantley.

For 6 months, Brantley cared for Bella. The squirrel lived in an outdoor recovery cage with her companions. She was fed daily formula, fruits, vegetables, and, of course, lots of nuts.

It looked like an ordinary squirrel, and the idea was that once recovered, it could live freely in the wild. So, in April of the following year, Brantley returned the team of 4 recovered squirrels to the wild. However, one of them wasn’t really in a hurry to leave.

Bella has been visiting her human family for more than 8 years.

It’s common for many animals that have undergone rehab in human homes to return back within a few days, Brantley explained. What is atypical is that they continue to visit the family years later. And this is the case with Bella, who has remained in contact with these people for more than 8 years.

“She’ll wait by the door for somebody to notice, and if nobody comes, she’ll then jump up to the dining room window to look inside,” her human mom commented.

Even if she disappears for an entire season, Brantley is always sure she will be back.

For a few strokes and a handful of nuts, Bella returns to perch on Brantley’s lap to play with her and share hugs and kisses. She even gets along well with Willie, Amos, and Cid, the Harrison family dogs.

There are seasons when Bella disappears for weeks at a time, but her human family knows she will definitely return. In fact, after a long time of absence, the squirrel returned to her friends’ doorstep, but with a surprise.

A new family of squirrels is born

Bella had an injured paw, so the Harrisons took her back into their home, placed her in a rehabilitation cage, and gave her a round of antibiotics to help her recover. They were about to release her when they realized she had 3 baby squirrels in her belly. Just before returning to the wild, Bella gave birth to her beautiful pups.

So, the new squirrel family stayed in the care of the humans for a bit longer, and when the babies grew up, they returned them to their natural habitat. The family continues to receive visits from Bella, and the squirrel even has its own Instagram account where Brantley shares her memories and photos of the visits.