Adorable Squirrel Comes Back to Rescuer’s Home After Human Saves Her

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When a baby squirrel was thrown from her nest during a thunderstorm in Kansas last year, property owner Tyler Gregory and his girlfriend thought that they were just going to nurse the tiny mammal back to health before releasing it into the wild.

They developed an adorable bond with the squirrel, whom they named Annie, as they cared for her following their discovery. The pair, who work as a musician and an artist, were able to keep watch as Annie—whose eyes weren’t even open when they found her on the property—grew and gained her strength.

Eventually, though, she was big enough to run around their house without being kept in her cage. At that point, Gregory said in an interview with The Dodo, they realized that it was time to release the squirrel back into the wild.

It was a heartbreaking choice. Although the couple knew that Annie would do better in the wild, they had gotten an opportunity to fall in love with her presence in their lives.

“She was always very attached to us growing up,” Gregory said, via The Dodo. “She would enjoy running around the house or running outside, but would always come right to us. Whenever folks would come over, I would have her say hello as she sat on my shoulder.”

It was a sad day when they had to let her go, and the pair expected that they'd never see Annie again.

So imagine their surprise a week later, when Gregory’s girlfriend opened the door and saw Annie sitting on their front doorstep!

“I opened the front door the other day and there she was!” Gregory said. “[She] came up and greeted me on my shoulder.”

Since that first return, Annie has made it a habit to come back to their home each day for a quick visit. She doesn’t try to stay with them again—she seems to love her freedom and chance to explore—but appears to be all too aware of who protected her when she was at her most vulnerable.

“She spent some time with us for an hour and then went on her way,” Gregory added. “She has come back every day for a little while to enjoy getting spoiled with nuts and then goes on her way. She seems very happy and enjoys climbing the trees.”

It may seem surprising that a squirrel is able to remember their home so well; of all the wild animals that have been rescued and rehabilitated by humans over the years, one like Annie doesn’t seem like a top candidate to come back and visit her rescuers.

Squirrels are some of nature’s most intelligent creatures, though. Scientists believe that squirrels can recall where they’ve buried over 95 percent of their food after they store it in trees and holes for the winter months, and they can remember humans who have been kind to them on park path encounters in the past; they may not be quite as loyal as a dog or a cat, but they remember things remarkably well.

For Gregory and his girlfriend, that means a reassuring visit from the animal they spent months raising—and for Annie, it means having a home to come back to whenever she wants!