IN MEMORIAM: ROLLA

 

We sadly suspect that Rolla has died. We first met in the Summer of '19 and she has been our primary backyard squirrel since. I last saw her this May. Fox squirrels can live 18 years in captivity but it is noted in Wiki that most never see adulthood. For those that do, the maximum life expectancy for females is 12 years, 8 for males. I think we met Rolla when she was one for early photos do not show a mommy pooch that are apparent in recent pix. 

As I said in my initial post about her, Rolla's name was the feminization of Roland, the legendary warrior. She showed little fear of us or the cats, boldly grabbing peanuts a couple of feet away. Soon, she came to recognize us and would come on the pool railing or back deck and wait for some peanuts to be tossed her way. Later, C was thrilled to be able to open the slider screen and feed her by hand.

Now, she may have relocated although I cannot imagine why she would given the uninterrupted access to food. Who knows? If she has passed on, well, safe journey my friend. We enjoyed sharing the space with you.