Six Squirrels Separated

Six young squirrels whose tails had become fused together were brought in to the Animal Clinic of Regina in Saskatchewan. Veterinarian Dr. Steven Kruzeniski said the condition, known as squirrel king, was rare, but he'd seen a case before.

This particular group of six were nesting near a pine tree and sap fused their tails together. A city of Regina worker found the young squirrels and brought them to the clinic.

The animals were sedated and the veterinarian team worked to untangle the mess of tails. Their tails were then shaved of the matted fur and they were given antibiotics to prevent infection.

Dr. Kruzeniski says the young squirrels were lucky to keep their tails as in some more extreme cases they have to be amputated.

After they were deemed healthy, the squirrels were released back into the city park. Link  -via Arbroath

(Image credit: Animal Clinic of Regina)


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Not sure where from but I remember l leaning about rat kings awhile back. The subsequent heebie jeebies and nightmares made me wish I hadn't. At least, while still rodents, squirrels are cute and fuzzy.
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Comments on the linked article mentioned the existence of "rat kings," in which many rats are joined together by their tangled or otherwise fused tails. A rat king can have a lot of rats in it . . . dozens. Brrr!
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