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Blandford Nature Center needs help naming its flying squirrel

Posted at 8:26 AM, May 01, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-01 08:28:55-04

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Blandford Nature Center is hoping the public can help with ideas to come up with a name for its flying squirrel.

The female squirrel will be making her debut this month after she was found injured in the backyard of a home in Grand Rapids.

Wildlife Manager Lori Lomoro, who has been with Blandford for the last 16 years, says its usually extremely difficult to nurse a mammal like her back to health but she recovered well.

Staff at Blandford have created an unbreakable bond with the unnamed squirrel, even teaching her how to play hide and seek

We’re told the unnamed squirrel will joined Rocky, a male flying squirrel that has been at Blanford Nature Center for several years.

The two will be housed at the main center when they aren’t touring West Michigan schools as wildlife ambassadors.

Southern flying squirrels are common in West Michigan, according to Blandford Nature Center, but they aren’t readily observed because they are nocturnal and smaller than the common tree squirrels.

While they can’t fly, the squirrels can glide impressive distances by stretching their front and back limbs.