Special Visitor "Winks"

Friday we had a special visitor.  This special visitor named "Winks" the squirrel was cleared to visit our school under the conditions that this animal was vaccinated, stayed in her cage and that the children were not to touch her in any way.  This visitor is friend from Mrs. Garrabrant's class, and is taking care of a baby squirrel that fell from a tree.  Sadly, her fall ended in her loosing a toe on one of her back feet.   She didn't have enough time to get well and prepare for the winter, so she is being kept in captivity until she fully recovers. 

Since we have been talking about Ohio's wild animals, this squirrel was a great way to get the conversation started about how she would have needed to prepare for winter if she was living in the wild.  We talked about how this animal is still a wild animal even though it lives at a humans house and is treated like a pet.  She was born in the wild and is potentially going to be released back into the wild. 

When the children got their first glance at "Winks" they couldn't help but smile and become VERY excited.  They came up with some great questions for its owner and we learned a lot.  

The students were thrilled to meet this squirrel.  This experience has made them even more excited to learn more about the wild animals in Ohio, and how they prepare for winter.  

I look forward to sharing more about our new study in the future!

Mrs. Atkin