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The Squirrel Lady

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By GEORGE H. NEWMAN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 12, 2007

Updated: 12/10/2007 06:22 pm

PLANT CITY - It's safe to say that Karen Clark has earned the nickname "The Squirrel Lady."

She and her volunteers nurture dozens of squirrels - some babies too young to fend for themselves, others injured adults that can't survive without human care.

She spends about $85,000 a year on their care. Veterinary costs, food, formula and cages account for the bulk of the cost at the squirrel rescue, she said.

Clark, the founder of the not-for-profit Lovely Lita's Sheltering Tree Foundation, discovered years ago she was a sucker for squirrels.

"I have always loved squirrels," Clark said.

Her love for the critters helped make her a nominee for 2007 Animal Planet Hero of the Year. She didn't, win but she was a finalist for the honors from the Animal Planet, a cable and satellite television network.

She cares for the babies at the Tampa home she shares with husband, Bill, an embryologist. Once weaned, the squirrels go to nearly 9 acres the couple own off Bruton Road north of Plant City.

Clark, who was raised in Clearwater by her grandparents, said her grandfather, Evan Bissell, didn't nurture her love for squirrels. He warned her that they "make poor pets."

"Now," she said, looking around at the dozens of caged animals around her at the country property shelter, "I think this is my grandfather's revenge."

The foundation is named Lovely Lita after the first squirrel she cared for, Clark said.

The Clarks' property is a virtual zoo - horses, including a Clydesdale, burros, goats, parrots, cockatiel, prairie dogs, parakeets, rabbits and flying squirrels. But the dominant creatures, particularly in cages inside a doublewide mobile home on the land, are Florida gray squirrels that she rescued after they fell from their nests or she saved from other peril.

Clark estimates that she has 15 infant squirrels incubating in her Forest Hills home. Up to 50 others are being cared for by volunteers, she said. Once weaned, the maturing squirrels are transferred to the land north of Bruton Road.

"We have wooded areas on the property for the squirrels to be released and live happily," Clark said. "Unfortunately, some of the animals are injured or deformed in some way that won't allow them to survive in the wild."

Some squirrels need full-time care because of birth defects, injuries or eating poisons meant for rats or other pests, she said.

"The squirrels are selflessly cared for by our volunteers," she said.

Clark estimates that she releases 100 squirrels to the wild each year.

Marti Ryan, a spokeswoman for Hillsborough County Animal Services, said her agency gets calls about squirrels that have fallen from their nests or are otherwise in need of help. The county has to refer those calls to a private agency. She wasn't familiar with Clark's rescue mission.

"Companion animals such as dogs and cats are our main concern," Ryan said. "That is what we are funded for. Squirrels and other wild animals are very difficult to rehabilitate and highly labor intensive.

"Volunteers in the community do a lot of the care-giving for wounded and abandoned wild animals."

Clark said the foundation's budget is stretched to the limit and if it doesn't get more donations she won't be able to continue to accept "pinkies" hairless baby squirrels that require extraordinary care.

Clark said "it takes an enormous amount of money to finance the operation.

"No one gets paid. I have 30-40 volunteers caring for pinkies, and three volunteers who help me on the east Hillsborough property. Without significant donations, I'm going have to scale the whole thing back."

Currently, the property is being fenced so that the squirrels will have some protection against larger roaming animals. The squirrels unable to be released because of injury or birth defect, are kept in 40 cages inside the mobile home. Plans include additional outdoor "wilding" cages that are placed in the woods close by the doublewide.

The wilding cages are larger and are built by hand for about $800 each, she said. The squirrels can easily come and go.

"Those squirrels are in effect living in the wild. They can hear and see other animals, call to other squirrels and learn how to forage on their own," Clark said.

With a lack of experience in nest building, Clark provides tree boxes where the released squirrels can build new homes on the property and raise families of their own.

Presently, Clark houses about 50 squirrels that will never be released. She has another 50 that will be released in March, once the oaks in the area start producing leaves that the squirrels will need for cover.

"Then our "pinkies" will be ready to follow them, in about April or May," Clark said.

Her Web site said there are two seasons for babies to be born. The main season is between late July and the end of October. The other season is in late January through April.

Unfortunately, she said, most squirrels are born during hurricane season "so we see more baby squirrels blown out of their nests during rough weather. After Hurricane Frances came through the area in 2004, we ended up with over 200 babies in less than 24 hours."

"Without financial aid, we won't be able to respond as we did then," Clark said. "We may have to give up caring for pinkies all together."

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Karen Clark, also known as "The Squirrel Lady," needs volunteers and financial help to keep her squirrel rescue mission in operation.

She also needs donations of food items such as Esbilac (puppy formula), pecans, apples, strawberries, corn, green beans and squash.

Also needed are new syringes without needles, crates, carriers, paper towels, old T-shirts and heating pads.

For information, write her at Lovely Lita's Sheltering Tree Foundation, 1110 S. Pine Lake Drive, Tampa FL 33612, call (813) 610-3517 or e-mail info@squirrellady.com

Reporter George H. Newman can be reached at (813) 865-4451 or gnewman@tampatrib.com.

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