Watch what happens …
When wildlife rescuer Rebecca Lombardi began caring for a fragile orphaned baby squirrel, she was filled with hope — but also concern.
Though the tiny squirrel was eating, he just wasn’t growing the way he should. Rebecca knew that hand-raising wild animals can be unpredictable — some flourish, others struggle.
“He’s trying,” she shared in a heartfelt video posted by The Dodo. “But he’s just not thriving. It happens sometimes with squirrels raised by humans — some adapt, and some don’t.”
Rather than give up, Rebecca made a bold decision: she would try to reunite the baby with nature — by offering him to a wild mother squirrel living in her backyard.
It was a long shot.
But Rebecca had built trust with one of the local squirrel moms by feeding her regularly. She knew where the squirrel nested and decided to take the chance. Carefully cradling the baby in her hands, she approached the tree and waited, her heart pounding.
“I knew his chances with her were better than with me,” she said. “So I had to try.”
Soon, the mama squirrel appeared. Cautious at first, she slowly approached, sniffing the tiny baby Rebecca offered. And then — in a moment that felt like magic — she gently picked him up in her mouth and scurried back up the tree.
It worked.
Rebecca watched, filled with relief and joy, as the wild mother accepted the orphan as one of her own.
Thanks to a leap of faith — and the unexpected compassion of a wild mama — the baby squirrel was given a second chance at life.