Meet Spray and Foam: a pair of squirrel siblings who recently defied the odds.
Earlier this month, homeowners in New York were filling a section of their wall with spray foam when they heard a scream. They dug through the wall and found Spray and Foam
covered in the dangerous insulation. In need of expert help, they put out a call to local rescuers and quickly connected with Lilyanna Zona of Twin Tails Wildlife Rehab .
“The homeowners were distraught and crying but very grateful I came over to help,” Zona told The Dodo.
Zona knew that time was of the essence, as the foam was already restricting the squirrels’ airways. She tried to remove as much as possible while en route to Cornell’s Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital. Once at the hospital, vets safely sedated the squirrels and removed all of the insulation covering their ears, eyes, mouths and noses.
Clean and stabilized, the squirrels traveled to Zona’s home, where her twin, Aryanna, was waiting to help.
The twins treated the babies like any other rescued squirrels, feeding them formula from a syringe. As the squirrels grew healthier, their personalities began to shine.
“Spray is more docile and skittish; he was reluctant to eat when he first got back into our care but was quickly bribed,” Zona said. “Foam is much more dominant and would stand on Spray’s head to try and get the best snack first.”
Finally healthy, with shiny coats, the squirrels were ready to return to their home in the wild.
The Zona twins were sad to see them go, but they knew that life in the trees was what Spray and Foam needed most.
“It’s always bittersweet, because you want what’s best for them, which is to be wild, but you also worry about the dangers they will face,” Zona said. “But [it’s] amazing to see how they grew and transformed.”
