State Forces Squirrel to Go Wild After Quarantine with Louisiana Woman

Every good squirrel tale needs a plot twist, so Willamina — the injured squirrel fostered by a Louisiana woman in quarantine — is getting hers, and we’re hoping it’s a happy ending.

The headline here is Willamina is taking a big step toward going wild — a step that was forced by the state after we posted a story last week about Willa and her foster mom, Emily.

Emily joined us on TMZ Live Friday with a big update … she’s handing over Willa to a licensed rehab and release facility after the state’s Wildlife and Fisheries Dept. contacted her and said Willa had to go.

As we told you … Emily took in the baby squirrel just as Louisiana’s state lockdown began last month — she was just a couple weeks old with a badly infected eye. Emily raised her, fed her and got her proper veterinary care.

Pretty heartwarming story, especially amid a global pandemic.

Problem is … our post, and Emily’s social media, got a lot of eyeballs on them, and that’s when the state got involved. You can tell Emily’s heartbroken she has to be separated from her furry friend — they’ve really bonded over the last 6 weeks.

However, she told us it’s gonna be a great move for Willamina, ’cause she’s about to get hooked up with another squirrel!!!

As Emily says … squirrels tend to thrive in pairs, and she’s hoping this move puts Willa on a better path to eventually getting released into the wild.