Man bottle-feeds ‘exhausted and weak’ baby squirrel who finds his dog in a park

A tiny rescued squirrel struggling to drink milk from a bottle has melted hearts all over the internet, after the man who found her shared images of her rescue on social media.

In a video posted to TikTok last Sunday by @Marksteenadamson, the baby squirrel, later named Casper, can be seen struggling to drink milk from a bottle, while grabbing the man’s finger with its little paw.

@marksteenadamson

CASPER Coco and I found a baby squirrel in the park crying, exhausted and weak. So I took him home, since he was holding on to my hand and wouldn’t let go. So we went to Tesco late at night and got some puppy milk and a bottle and I bottle fed him and put him to bed in a crate and a blanket. Super helpful Chloe at Tesco checks out @chloearnold4 (who also happens to be a photojournalism student 👍🏽) named him Casper and now he’s fast asleep. Getting up early to eat in the morning… #squirrelrescue #bottledmilk #squirrellife

♬ original sound – Marksteen Adamson

Marksteenadamson and his dog Coco, a Patterdale Terrier, are already quite well known on the platform, in fact his profile, which regularly shares updates on Coco’s life, has more than 21,000 followers.

The post also includes a caption that reads: “CASPER. Coco and I found a baby squirrel on the ground in the park crying, exhausted and weak. So [we] I took him home as he was holding on to my hand and wouldn’t let go.

“So we went to Tesco late at night (a UK grocery superstore) and bought some puppy milk and a bottle and I just bottle-fed him and [put] him to bed in a box and a blanket.

According to the ROC hunting and survival tips blog, the estimated number of gray squirrels in the US is around 2 billion. Squirrels have a lifespan of around six years, but around 41 million of them are killed by motorized vehicles alone each year in the US.

In new video updates that Coco and her owner have shared since the rescue, the squirrels can be seen climbing the tree in their garden much better.

The video has attracted many users, some of whom are interested in daily updates, and has received more than 11,900 likes, 311 comments, and 79 shares so far.

Most of the users loved the video and wished the baby squirrels well. One user said: “It’s too sweet the way she holds your finger, my heart.”

Another user suggested: “Maybe use a syringe from a medicine bottle.”

While another added: “Try giving her milk with one of those medicine syringes. I did the same thing when my cat forgot one of her kittens.”

A fourth said, “I’m engaged! Please update every day.”

Some users also praised the man for his kind gesture. One said: “You’re a kind soul. Bless you for rescuing him, but maybe take him to a vet, just to be sure.”