A routine home repair suddenly turned into a desperate rescue when homeowners in New York heard a scream coming from inside their wall.
They had been filling part of the wall with spray foam when they realized something was terribly wrong. Hidden inside were two baby squirrels, later named Spray and Foam, completely covered in the dangerous insulation.
The homeowners carefully opened the wall and immediately called for help. Rescuer Lilyanna Zona of Twin Tails Wildlife Rehab knew there was no time to waste. The foam was already restricting the tiny squirrels’ airways, so she began removing as much of it as possible while rushing them to Cornell’s Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital.
At the hospital, veterinarians safely sedated the babies and painstakingly removed the hardened insulation covering their ears, eyes, mouths and noses. For the first time, the rescuers could begin to see the little squirrels beneath all that foam.
The twins were then treated like any other rescued squirrels, receiving formula through a syringe as they slowly regained their strength. And as Spray and Foam became healthier, their very different personalities began to emerge.
Spray was described as more docile and skittish, while Foam quickly showed a much more dominant personality. According to Zona, Foam would even stand on Spray’s head to get the best snack first.
After everything they had endured, seeing these two little survivors finally acting like normal baby squirrels was a moment worth waiting for.