Skip to content

Flying squirrel touches down inside Salmon Arm home

Rodent jumps around residence before homeowers encourage it back outdoors
10304161_web1_180124-SAA-flyingsquirrel-1
A flying squirrel climbed a lamp inside the Metcalfe residence in Canoe on Monday night. - photo courtesy of Selina Metcalfe, Ihana Images

A Canoe family had an unusual visitor to tour their residence Monday night.

A flying squirrel somehow managed to gain entry into their home when it was spotted in the living room by owner Selina Metcalfe.

“James and I were just sitting in the living room and I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. It’s an old farm house and we get the occasional mouse, so I was prepared to do battle. I looked up and saw that it was bigger and for a moment I thought it was a rat and I panicked! Then I saw the fluffy tail,” says Metcalfe.

“I tried to throw a sheet over him to get him outside gently, but he was too quick.”

Metcalfe says the flying squirrel spent 20 minutes going from room to room as they were trying to usher him into various large containers.

Metcalfe has a few costume dresses and crinolines hanging in the laundry room. She says the squirrel even climbed into them and nestled in for a short time before bounding on.

“Our dogs were outside so we couldn’t just shoo him out the door. Our border collie loves to catch mice and would have killed it,” she says.

The family ended up herding the squirrel into the sun porch at the back of the house and locked the door. Then they brought their dogs in to the mud room at the front of the house and locked them in.

“Then it was back to let the squirrel out the back door,” says Metcalfe. “But by that time he had crawled up under an end table and into the little drawer. It was pretty comical.”

Metcalfe slid the drawer open a bit, but the flying squirrel wasn’t interested in making the jump to freedom just yet.

“So I just carried the table in front of the open door, put it down and he took a flying leap out in to the snow. He scampered off to the closest cherry tree.”

Flying squirrels are more rare than their common variety cousins, but are not considered an endangered species. Biologists at the Canadian Wildlife Federation note they are a nocturnal animal – hence the larger eyes – and this simply makes it more rare for them to be seen.

They prefer coniferous and mixed forest habitat, making this area an ideal habitat for them.

To report a typo, email:
newstips@saobserver.net
.


@SalmonArm
newstips@saobserver.net

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

10304161_web1_180124-SAA-flyingsquirrel-2
A flying squirrel takes a breather from jumping around the Metcalfe residence in Canoe on Monday night. - photo courtesy of Selina Metcalfe, Ihana Images