Stikki the Squirrel sets out to explore the world - Worthing author

​Jane, aged 72, promises a charming animal story for children aged seven to 11 years, following the adventures of a mischievous grey squirrel as he and his siblings leave their nest for the first time and explore the world around them.

“I wanted to highlight the grey squirrel and put them in the spotlight: to acknowledge them as the beautiful, delightful little animals that they are.

“Stikki the Squirrel is a story with a subtle message concerning our fast-disappearing countryside and its wildlife. I love nature, and we all understand the importance of conservation and the need to protect the diversity of all life that lives on our beautiful planet with us. Every animal has the right to live a life free from fear, suffering, exploitation and persecution – they all deserve our compassion and our protection, including farmed animals. Grey squirrels are looked upon as pests by many people, insisting that their presence threatens the red squirrel populations. With careful management, harmony can be established, enabling all species to co-exist in a world in balance with nature.

“Sciurus carolinensis is one of our best-known mammals, the grey squirrel. I personally cannot help but love them and invite them into my garden by providing a seed/nut box which I refill daily. I am rewarded by their comical activities – balancing along fencing, scaling trees as though there is an invisible ladder leaning against the trunk. I am amazed by their boundless energy and inquisitive nature. The success of the grey squirrel is attributed to their intelligence and adaptability to their changing surroundings.

“Grey squirrels do not hibernate in winter so last Christmas as a treat, I bought a mixed packet of unshelled walnuts and pecan nuts, mostly for my family’s enjoyment, but also to observe our squirrel friends to see what they made of them. Sure enough, as if by magic, a squirrel appeared on the feeding platform and sniffed the box. He could detect the slight scent coming from the nuts. The walnut posed no problems, and within moments, the nut was firmly grasped in his mouth before he ran off with it. The pecan nut, however, is smooth and slippery in comparison and the inevitable happened. Their normally dexterous front paws, each armed with four sharp-clawed toes and a vestigial, tiny thumb, obviously found this nut a challenge to hold. However, patience is the key word when observing grey squirrels and their activities, and eventually I was rewarded with a backward glance of appreciation before he ran off., the nut proudly protruding from his mouth as he ran back to his nest or drey.

“On occasions, a fox has roamed through our garden. Now these animals are dangerous predators and will take a squirrel if they can catch it. Speed and agility are on the squirrel’s side but if taken by surprise, the outcome could have dire consequences for the squirrel.

“Last summer we witnessed a chase through our garden where an unfortunate squirrel was fleeing for its life – a red fox in pursuit. With acrobatic precision, the squirrel escaped by taking a dramatic leap to safety and clung onto the vertical pebbledash covered walls of our house. In a flash of grey, the squirrel scaled the wall and arrived slightly ruffled, but unharmed onto the roof. He peered down and shouted his scorn, flicking his tail in annoyance at the fox, then continued on his way, unfazed by the encounter: to our relief!”