THE STORY OF AN AMAZING SQUIRREL

MR MAGOO

 

 

MR MAGOO ARRIVED AT THE SANCTUARY ONE COLD WET DAY, A TINY, WET, FRIGHTENED LITTLE BABY, WHO HAD BEEN RESCUED OUT OF THE MOUTH OF A CAT.

 

AFTER WRAPPING MAGOO IN A BLANKET AND POPPING HIM ON TO A HEAT PAD, I TRIED TO FEED HIM ON ESBILLAC MILK, WHICH WE KEEP IN FOR THE BABY HEDGEHOGS. IT WAS IMMEDIATELY OBVIOUS THAT HE WAS DESPERATELY HUNGRY, HE BEGAN TO TAKE THE MILK, NEVER TAKING HIS BIG EYES OFF ME. LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT THIS LITTLE GUY WOULD WORM HIS WAY INTO MY HEART LIKE NO OTHER.

 

 

 

 

 

MAGOO BEGAN TO GROW INTO A HEALTHY SQUIRREL, EVERY DAY WHEN I TOOK HIS MILK OUT TO THE LARGE OUTSIDE PEN, HE WOULD JUMP WITH JOY AS SOON AS HE SAW ME, KISS MY FACE AND NUZZLE INTO MY NECK, IN TIME I BEGAN TO LET MAGOO OUT OF THE PEN, HE WOULD FOLLOW ME AROUND THE GARDEN, NEVER LETTING ME OUT OF HIS SIGHT.

 

I BEGAN TO REALISE JUST HOW INTELIGENT SQUIRRELS ARE, WE WOULD SPEND AGES PLAYING, IF I THREW A SMALL SOFT TOY HE WOULD BRING IT BACK TO ME, HE LOVED EVERYTHING, LEAVES, GRASS, HE WOULD SWING ROUND THE TREES LIKE A MONKEY, HE WAS LIKE A YOUNG CHILD WITH NEW TOYS. ALL MY CATS LOVED MAGOO AND NONE OF THEM TRIED TO HURT HIM, THEY WOULD CHASE HIM AND HE WOULD CHASE THEM BACK. WHEN HE GREW TIRED HE WOULD COME TO ME AND CURL UP ON MY KNEE. IF MAGOO LOVED ME, I LOVED HIM EVEN MORE. MAGOO CAME TO ALL OUR FUND RAISING EVENTS, AND PEOPLE WERE AMAZED BY HIM, HE DID A LOT TO CHANGE PEOPLES ATTITUDE TOWARDS SQUIRRELS.

 

 

 

WHEN THE TIME CAME FOR MAGOO TO BE RELEASED BACK TO THE WILD I WAS HEARTBROKEN, JUST THE THOUGHT OF HIM GOING MADE ME FEEL SICK WITH APPREHENSION, BUT HAVING TALKED TO OTHER SQUIRREL SANCTUARIES THEY CONVINCED ME THAT IT WAS BEST FOR HIM TO GO BACK TO THE WILD AND LIVE A FREE LIFE.

 

MAGOO WAS PLACED IN AN OPEN CAGE IN MY DAUGHTERS GARDEN WHICH BACKS ONTO WOODLAND, AS SAFE A PLACE AS WE COULD FIND AND WHERE OTHER SQUIRRELS LIVE.

EACH DAY I WOULD GO AND SEE IF HE HAD GONE, AND EACH DAY WAS THE SAME, MAGOO WAS WAITING FOR ME AND WOULD JUMP INTO MY ARMS AND KISS MY FACE. EVENTUALLY I WOULD JUST GO EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS IN THE HOPE HE WOULD GET THE MESSAGE, AND FINALLY ONE DAY HE CAME TO ME, KISSED MY FACE, LOOKED AT ME AND THEN WENT OFF. IT WAS HIS GOOD BYE.

 

AT THE TIME I WAS TOO SAD TO APPRECIATE THAT HE WAS FINALLY LIVING THE LIFE HE WAS BORN FOR, BUT NOW I CAN LOOK INTO THE WOODS AND SMILE, I HOPE MAGOO LIVES A LONG SAFE LIFE AND FATHERS BABIES OF HIS OWN.