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A Scurry of Squirrels: Nurturing the Wild
Polly Pullar has had a passion for red squirrels since childhood. As a wildlife rehabilitator, she knows the squirrel on a profoundly personal level and has hand-reared numerous litters of orphan kits, eventually returning them to the wild.
In this book she shares her experiences and love for the squirrel and explores how our perceptions have changed. Heavily persecuted until the 1960s, it has since become one of the nation’s most adored mammals. But we are now racing against time to ensure its long-term survival in an ever-changing world.
Set against the beautiful backdrop of Polly’s Perthshire farm, where she works continuously to encourage wildlife great and small, she highlights how nature can, and indeed will, recover if only we give it a chance. In just two decades, her efforts have brought spectacular results, and numerous squirrels and other animals visit her wild farm every day.
In this book she shares her experiences and love for the squirrel and explores how our perceptions have changed. Heavily persecuted until the 1960s, it has since become one of the nation’s most adored mammals. But we are now racing against time to ensure its long-term survival in an ever-changing world.
Set against the beautiful backdrop of Polly’s Perthshire farm, where she works continuously to encourage wildlife great and small, she highlights how nature can, and indeed will, recover if only we give it a chance. In just two decades, her efforts have brought spectacular results, and numerous squirrels and other animals visit her wild farm every day.
- GenresNatureNonfictionMemoir
240 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2021
7 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Polly Pullar
12 books4 followersPolly Pullar grew up in Ardnamurchan. In addition to being a field naturalist, wildlife guide and wildlife rehabilitator she is also photographer and journalist, and contributes to a wide selection of magazines. She is currently wildlife writer for Scottish Field and is the author of a number of books.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 13, 2024
I fell in love with squirrels during my time living abroad. So, had to read this - just look at the cover! Polly Pullar lives on a small farm in Scotland and has transformed it into a wildlife haven, where animals come to roam and where she takes in rescued wildlife.
Polly’s love for squirrels began when they helped cure her homesickness – much like they did with mine. A Scurry of Squirrels features beautiful pictures, which I thoroughly enjoyed – wonderful examples of wildlife photography. It was inspiring to see the transformation of her Highland Perthshire Farm too. This book and I seemed the perfect match - until it somehow went south.
Death and destruction litter these pages. I’m left traumatised by some stories, and can barely remember the heartwarming tales because of them. They felt in the minority. When I shared one anecdote (involving three baby squirrels) with my sister (who found this book), she said it made her feel sick. The historical killing of squirrels and bounty schemes were just the start. We then explored the dire impact of grey squirrels on red squirrel populations– along with their mass culls. It didn’t stop there – with the intricacies of deer culls being shared, along with countless other stories of animals sadly dying.
This isn't James Herriot. Pass the Prozac.
“All the squirrels that are brought to me are memorable, but some are far more so than others. Sadly, many of them die soon after arrival.”
While the author may be used to this, some readers (like myself) probably aren’t. I feel the culls should’ve been explored towards the end of the book – but instead arrived page 70, leaving a sour taste in my mouth. With the immense destruction of wildlife and land in the UK, I’m amazed there are any animals left.
Occasionally, certain segues didn’t quite stick either. It was jarring going from rogue taxidermy into squirrels stripping bark from trees. I did learn things, however, and occasional bright moments delivered much needed reprieve. Helen, Pipkin and Ruby the deer were my favourite sections. I’m glad we have people like Polly caring for wildlife.
“The intense love I have for red squirrels, and the pressing feeling of a need to try to help save any that are in trouble always brings an adrenaline rush, a swiftly beating heart and a shiver of excitement.”
I feel conflicted with this read. Polly’s wildlife work and conservation efforts are 5/5, but my enjoyment of this book is 2/5. At least things ended with optimism for the future. Ultimately, I was left wanting to spend more time in nature – which is always a good thing.
Recommend only for those into wildlife rescue, veterinarian sciences and land conservation – particularly how it relates to the UK.
Polly’s love for squirrels began when they helped cure her homesickness – much like they did with mine. A Scurry of Squirrels features beautiful pictures, which I thoroughly enjoyed – wonderful examples of wildlife photography. It was inspiring to see the transformation of her Highland Perthshire Farm too. This book and I seemed the perfect match - until it somehow went south.
Death and destruction litter these pages. I’m left traumatised by some stories, and can barely remember the heartwarming tales because of them. They felt in the minority. When I shared one anecdote (involving three baby squirrels) with my sister (who found this book), she said it made her feel sick. The historical killing of squirrels and bounty schemes were just the start. We then explored the dire impact of grey squirrels on red squirrel populations– along with their mass culls. It didn’t stop there – with the intricacies of deer culls being shared, along with countless other stories of animals sadly dying.
This isn't James Herriot. Pass the Prozac.
“All the squirrels that are brought to me are memorable, but some are far more so than others. Sadly, many of them die soon after arrival.”
While the author may be used to this, some readers (like myself) probably aren’t. I feel the culls should’ve been explored towards the end of the book – but instead arrived page 70, leaving a sour taste in my mouth. With the immense destruction of wildlife and land in the UK, I’m amazed there are any animals left.
Occasionally, certain segues didn’t quite stick either. It was jarring going from rogue taxidermy into squirrels stripping bark from trees. I did learn things, however, and occasional bright moments delivered much needed reprieve. Helen, Pipkin and Ruby the deer were my favourite sections. I’m glad we have people like Polly caring for wildlife.
“The intense love I have for red squirrels, and the pressing feeling of a need to try to help save any that are in trouble always brings an adrenaline rush, a swiftly beating heart and a shiver of excitement.”
I feel conflicted with this read. Polly’s wildlife work and conservation efforts are 5/5, but my enjoyment of this book is 2/5. At least things ended with optimism for the future. Ultimately, I was left wanting to spend more time in nature – which is always a good thing.
Recommend only for those into wildlife rescue, veterinarian sciences and land conservation – particularly how it relates to the UK.
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December 30, 2021Review originally on Curious Reader!
I habitually go searching for new nature writing, and one area I have been paying particular attention to is books on squirrels. You would think such an enigmatic beloved woodland creature featured in at least as much books as foxes do, alas you would be wrong. So when I heard A Scurry of Squirrels was coming out this summer, I was beyond thrilled. Like most nature books out there these days, it’s a mix of things: memoir, nature descriptions, environmental musings, anecdotes and science. It’s not only about squirrels as of course they fit into a larger ecological context – made particularly so by the geographic boundaries most of this book is confined to (Pullar’s own land). We see her collies, Ruby the deer, various birds and wildlife as much as we do the star of the show. The squirrels do take center-stage in many of the chapters and when they do, it’s clear Pullar has an immense appreciation and care for these tree acrobats. We learn about squirrels group dynamics (often an individualistic life), their preferences (one squirrel’s favorite dish is completely ignored by another), their unique attributes (anatomy allowing for the illusion of flying between trees, or miraculous escapes through tiny holes in their ‘captivity’), their role in a larger ecosystem (how their habitat is overrun by grey squirrels, farming, and other human endeavors) and more.
Many nature books coming out in our present state of climate change (endangering species, habitat, ecosystem collapse, dark clouds on the horizon) can often end up feeling bleak. They may try to reach for a hopeful future, and some manage to do just that. Books of this kind is urging us (readers, citizens) to change our lifestyles, attitudes, to pay attention, to remember, to question. Polly Pullar takes a different route – she is living by example. This book could be described in the following words: rewilding, rehabilitation, relocation. Her whole life is taken up by these things – she chronicles the process of rewilding her land in the last two decades, to see it prosper from a barren land to green, green, green. She is working with wildlife protection through the rehabilitation of animals, often squirrels (this becomes a vital thread throughout the book), and the eventual relocation of the animal to a suitable habitat (thinking about the full picture, steps ahead of how the animal will fit into its surroundings). It’s a thrilling journey to follow, educative and inspiring. While Pullar’s writing itself does not ‘sing’, she is instead firmly grounded in movement – in action, in doing the work and I doubt very much the reader of this book will feel indifferent to the enthusiasm, passion, and vigor seen in these pages.
I habitually go searching for new nature writing, and one area I have been paying particular attention to is books on squirrels. You would think such an enigmatic beloved woodland creature featured in at least as much books as foxes do, alas you would be wrong. So when I heard A Scurry of Squirrels was coming out this summer, I was beyond thrilled. Like most nature books out there these days, it’s a mix of things: memoir, nature descriptions, environmental musings, anecdotes and science. It’s not only about squirrels as of course they fit into a larger ecological context – made particularly so by the geographic boundaries most of this book is confined to (Pullar’s own land). We see her collies, Ruby the deer, various birds and wildlife as much as we do the star of the show. The squirrels do take center-stage in many of the chapters and when they do, it’s clear Pullar has an immense appreciation and care for these tree acrobats. We learn about squirrels group dynamics (often an individualistic life), their preferences (one squirrel’s favorite dish is completely ignored by another), their unique attributes (anatomy allowing for the illusion of flying between trees, or miraculous escapes through tiny holes in their ‘captivity’), their role in a larger ecosystem (how their habitat is overrun by grey squirrels, farming, and other human endeavors) and more.
Many nature books coming out in our present state of climate change (endangering species, habitat, ecosystem collapse, dark clouds on the horizon) can often end up feeling bleak. They may try to reach for a hopeful future, and some manage to do just that. Books of this kind is urging us (readers, citizens) to change our lifestyles, attitudes, to pay attention, to remember, to question. Polly Pullar takes a different route – she is living by example. This book could be described in the following words: rewilding, rehabilitation, relocation. Her whole life is taken up by these things – she chronicles the process of rewilding her land in the last two decades, to see it prosper from a barren land to green, green, green. She is working with wildlife protection through the rehabilitation of animals, often squirrels (this becomes a vital thread throughout the book), and the eventual relocation of the animal to a suitable habitat (thinking about the full picture, steps ahead of how the animal will fit into its surroundings). It’s a thrilling journey to follow, educative and inspiring. While Pullar’s writing itself does not ‘sing’, she is instead firmly grounded in movement – in action, in doing the work and I doubt very much the reader of this book will feel indifferent to the enthusiasm, passion, and vigor seen in these pages.
January 29, 2024
"There are probably few British native wild mammals, other than the red squirrel, that are so universally adored."
Wildlife rehabilitator Polly Pullar lives in the rural landscape of Perthshire, Scotland, where each morning she has the idyllic view from her kitchen window to the breathtaking scenery of nature in all its glory.
However, beyond this picture postcard setting, Pullar has become all too aware of the growing pressures of an ever-changing world.
"Though we are supposedly a nation of animal lovers, when it comes to wildlife we have preconceived ideas and like things to be orderly and to fit neatly into a category; they must be sanitised and convenient."
With a simple yet enchanting narrative, Pullar documents the personal hands-on experiences of rehabilitation preservation within nature. With a clear passion for red squirrels and their importance, we learn of their anatomy, diet, behaviour, habitat and even quirks that make them so unique as a species.
However this is about more than the red squirrel. While Pullar's inspired dedication shines through in the chapters telling tales of adopted deer, rescued birds, rejuvenated woodland and the regional landscape surrounding the author, she does not shy away from the grim realities that threaten the environment on a day-to-day basis.
It is inevitable that any nature writing leads to discussion of climate change and the effect that humanity has had on our wonderful planet, and yet Pullar remains optimistic with rehabilitation being the key that be taken as a lesson for our own actions towards earth. She strongly argues that if we only gave nature a chance it could, and would, recover.
"We are both the lucky ones, for we were both children of nature."
Wildlife rehabilitator Polly Pullar lives in the rural landscape of Perthshire, Scotland, where each morning she has the idyllic view from her kitchen window to the breathtaking scenery of nature in all its glory.
However, beyond this picture postcard setting, Pullar has become all too aware of the growing pressures of an ever-changing world.
"Though we are supposedly a nation of animal lovers, when it comes to wildlife we have preconceived ideas and like things to be orderly and to fit neatly into a category; they must be sanitised and convenient."
With a simple yet enchanting narrative, Pullar documents the personal hands-on experiences of rehabilitation preservation within nature. With a clear passion for red squirrels and their importance, we learn of their anatomy, diet, behaviour, habitat and even quirks that make them so unique as a species.
However this is about more than the red squirrel. While Pullar's inspired dedication shines through in the chapters telling tales of adopted deer, rescued birds, rejuvenated woodland and the regional landscape surrounding the author, she does not shy away from the grim realities that threaten the environment on a day-to-day basis.
It is inevitable that any nature writing leads to discussion of climate change and the effect that humanity has had on our wonderful planet, and yet Pullar remains optimistic with rehabilitation being the key that be taken as a lesson for our own actions towards earth. She strongly argues that if we only gave nature a chance it could, and would, recover.
"We are both the lucky ones, for we were both children of nature."
April 23, 2024
A wonderful book about red squirrels and other animals. The author runs a rescue centre for wild animals, particularly red squirrels, which she nurtures with the hope of returning them to the wild. The book is full of heart-warming stories about these lovable-looking animals and, of course, a section of gorgeous photos. There are also warnings about the damage we humans are causing to the natural world, but also hope for the future.
July 7, 2024
If I could give this book 10⭐️’s I would! I loved this book. I bought it while on vacation in Scotland and admittedly fell in love with the adorable red squirrel on the cover. Who says people don’t judge books by the cover! LOL!
The author, Polly Pullar, is a wildlife rehabilitator who has hand-reared numerous orphaned squirrel kits, eventually returning them to the wild. Her book highlights her experiences and love for the red squirrel and also shares the complex and often tenuous position of being an advocate for wildlife and the natural world in such a way that you are drawn into her world with every turn of the page. She makes you care for the animals she rehabs and their plight to survive against a backdrop of dangers and threats to their natural environment.
We humans need to care more about the planet - about nature - about the animals that we share this glorious space with. “Nature does not need us. We need it,” as the author points out. We can do better to protect and preserve our natural world and we need to get involved and make a difference! Polly guides the reader how to help and what we can do to actively participate in making a difference.
As a naturalist, wildlife rehabilitator and photographer, Polly’s book is at once compelling and interesting for her wealth of knowledge and experience seeps through every page of this beautifully written book. At the end of the book Polly writes,
“We all love red squirrels and it’s important to remember that without help, we are in increasing danger of losing these incredible, delightful woodland sprites. And that thought is simply too painful to contemplate. For now we have to continue to work towards a safe future for the red squirrel in the forest - for in saving squirrels we will be saving so much more.”
This book has my heart. Thank you, Polly, for sharing your journey saving these beautiful, dear animals. I pledge to do better.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The author, Polly Pullar, is a wildlife rehabilitator who has hand-reared numerous orphaned squirrel kits, eventually returning them to the wild. Her book highlights her experiences and love for the red squirrel and also shares the complex and often tenuous position of being an advocate for wildlife and the natural world in such a way that you are drawn into her world with every turn of the page. She makes you care for the animals she rehabs and their plight to survive against a backdrop of dangers and threats to their natural environment.
We humans need to care more about the planet - about nature - about the animals that we share this glorious space with. “Nature does not need us. We need it,” as the author points out. We can do better to protect and preserve our natural world and we need to get involved and make a difference! Polly guides the reader how to help and what we can do to actively participate in making a difference.
As a naturalist, wildlife rehabilitator and photographer, Polly’s book is at once compelling and interesting for her wealth of knowledge and experience seeps through every page of this beautifully written book. At the end of the book Polly writes,
“We all love red squirrels and it’s important to remember that without help, we are in increasing danger of losing these incredible, delightful woodland sprites. And that thought is simply too painful to contemplate. For now we have to continue to work towards a safe future for the red squirrel in the forest - for in saving squirrels we will be saving so much more.”
This book has my heart. Thank you, Polly, for sharing your journey saving these beautiful, dear animals. I pledge to do better.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 18, 2022
Wonderful book about red squirrels and Polly's work to rescue an rehabilitate orphans. However it's much more than this as it reveals the wonderful work going on in Scotland to provide better habitats for them and the other declining species that make the fauna there so unique.
September 5, 2022
An absolutely delightful book that has made me fall in love with red squirrels.
May 16, 2024
An interesting read. I do love Red Squirrels.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews