New Brunswick man shares unlikely, heartwarming friendship with squirrel
An animal rescue situation has turned into a unique friendship for a New Brunswick man and his new friend Peanut, a grey squirrel.
It’s not your typical four-legged animal friendship, but for Rodney Tingley and Peanut it just works.
“It makes me smile when, you know, he’ll jump on somebody else, smell them and, ‘Oh, that’s not him!’ He’ll, you know, either give them a little scratch or bite and jump on me,” said Tingley.
Peanut was found last fall by Tingley’s grandson.
He was so young that his eyes were barely open and, with no mom in sight, Peanut became the latest resident at the Tingley house in Colpitts Settlement, N.B.
“There was a whole bunch of people there and they looked around and no one could find the mother and somebody come up and said they thought the mother got hit by a car,” Tingley said.
“The little squirrel came up my grandson’s leg again, right up to his shoulder, and wouldn’t leave him, so they knew I’d take care of him, so they brought him to me.”
While Peanut might be his first squirrel, Tingley is an animal lover by nature and commonly takes in animals that need a soft landing or some extra help.
In the past, he also helped raise a baby raccoon, who still visits on occasion.
“You wouldn’t know unless you raised an animal like this yourself, they’re, in my opinion, almost human-like,” he said.
“You can tell they’ve got feelings, pain, everything that we’ve got. So they get pretty attached.”
For the last few months, ever since joining the Tingley family, Peanut has been living the good life.
A close up of Peanut eating a nut Tuesday morning in Colpitts Settlement, N.B. (Alana Pickrell/CTV Atlantic)
"I found out that he loved corn on the cob, so I’ve been buying four corn on the cob at the Sobeys every few days and he chews the niblets right off them, right bare, the whole cob of corn,” Tingley said.
Peanut is also known as a bit of a troublemaker.
Tingley says he sometimes makes a mess of the sunroom and has been caught ripping holes and burrowing into the cushions. He also occasionally likes to scare the humans who took him in.
“It’s kind of funny sometimes, if I have him in the house, he’ll jump on the wife and she’ll let a big scream out,” said Tingley.
While Peanut can come and go as he pleases, the bond he has with Tingley keeps him close to home.
“I figured I’ll let him go and if he comes back, OK … he comes back every day or two. Four o’clock in the afternoon usually and I go out and he jumps on my hat or shoulder and comes back in the house,” he said.
Adding, Peanut usually comes back in once he’s done playing with his friends.
“There’s seven or eight other little red squirrels out there and he chases them all up around the trees and I think he sleeps with them when he does stay out overnight, I think he’s in the bushes with them and in their nest curled up,” said Tingley.
“He’ll even go up to my brother’s place a little ways up the road and I go up with the car and he jumps on my arm, he gets in the car and I bring him home.”
An unlikely friendship that’s only getting stronger with time.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.