Howell resident bottle-fed and cared for pair of squirrels for four months, running afoul of state law
HOWELL -- A woman who nurtured two newborn squirrels separated from their mother said she was acting out of kindness. But state wildlife officials say she was also breaking the law.
Maria Vaccarella came to the aid of a squirrel that had fallen out of a tree last year and then, unexpectedly, gave birth, WPVI 6 in Philadelphia reported. Vacacarella said she left the two outside in a cage for a day and when the mother failed to return, she brought them inside, bottle-feeding them and caring for them for four months after registered wildlife rehabilitators told her they could not take them in. Vaccarella named them "George and Lola."
Gray squirrel (file photo) In October, the Division of Fish and Wildlife contacted her after seeing posts on social media of her and the animals and seized them. Bob Considine, a state Department of Environmental Protection spokesman, said the agency was contacted about the social media posts by a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. The state was then obligated to follow up on the reported infraction, Considine said.
Shortly after, she received a $500 ticket charging her with "keeping captive game animals," UPI reported.
Vaccarella may also face a fine of as little as $100 or no fine at all if she is a first-time offender and pleads guilty, Considine said.
"We understand there are many people who take in wildlife and have the best intentions, as clearly was the case with Mrs. Vaccarella. And this is not a case we're focusing any energy on. However, domesticating any wildlife for an extended period of time, which was the case here, also puts these animals at great risk of being unable to survive in the natural habitat, where they belong," Considine said.
"We encourage people who come across injured or orphaned wildlife to turn them over to a certified wildlife rehabilitator. These laws are in place to protect people, as well as any creature from squirrels to deer, as wildlife can transmit diseases to humans."
Vaccarella, who has pleaded not guilty, is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 27.
Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. FindNJ.com on Facebook