Race Against Time To Save Bald Squirrel Before Temperatures Dip

Save Our Squirrel: This little chap’s life is on the line this winter (SWNS)

Animal lovers in Bedfordshire are desperate to track down a rare bald squirrel, whose life is at risk with temperatures set to dip dramatically this weekend.

Visitors to a park in Dunstable alerted the RSPCA and Bedfordshire Wildlife Rescue to their concerns for the unusual animal, but all attempts to track him down have so far been futile.

A spokesman for Bedfordshire Wildlife Rescue website said: “We spent over an hour at the location searching and there was no sign of him at all.

"This is the fourth time we have now been out to search for this animal and despite the fact there are dozens and dozens of squirrels in Grove Gardens, we have still not seen this one once.

"This is not a location where a trap can be left as it cannot be monitored and we therefore have to rely on him being there when we are, so that we can assess the situation.”

Nothing to worry about: This lucky squirrel’s all set for a temperature dip (SWNS)

The squirrel’s condition could have been caused by dermatophytosis, more commonly known as ringworm. This is a fungus that attacks the shaft of the hair where it emerges from the skin.

While the condition in itself isn’t usually fatal, experts advise that bald squirrels are kept in captivity over the winter to stop them getting hypothermia.

Lee Stocker, the founder of Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital, said: “We had one for many years that lost its fur, they get on fine. The big worry is in the winter because they’ve got no fur so we had to bring him in every winter.

"During the day they’ve got no protection against the cold so hypothermia is a real danger, the squirrels just carry on as normal because they don’t know they’ve got no fur.

"The ladies might think he’s a bit ugly and don’t want to bother him next year, bless him.”

With temperatures set to drop to -1C in Dunstable this weekend, we’ve got our paws crossed the little fella turns up.