A baby red squirrel found close to death has been nursed back to health by rescuers - who even made him a hammock.<br /><br />The "almost-lifeless" animal was discovered in a woodland "shivering, soaked and sodden" after it was hit by last week's storms.<br /><br />It is thought the kit had been blown out of a tree during high winds.<br /><br />Two young boys carefully wrapped the squirrel - who they named Stormy - in tissues and a plastic poo bag and called local wildlife volunteers.<br /><br />Katie McCandless, from Missing Pets Perth and Kinross, said he is thought to be only eight weeks old.<br /><br />She and volunteers swiftly arranged a 'little cave' for the animal - with a squirrel-sized hammock, and daily snacks consisting of nuts, broccoli and apples.<br /><br />Stormy was found near the Necessity Brae area of Perth, Scotland, on Saturday (7 Oct).<br /><br />Katie said: "We received a phone call and our volunteer Christine Faulds Quinn was straight on the case.<br /><br />"It was essential to get him warmed up - so when Christine first got Stormy, she put him down her top to get him all dried up from the rain as it's the quickest way!<br /><br />"We always would want to help any animal, but as a protected species, him being so young, and the condition he was found in, we wanted to make sure he had the best chance of survival possible. <br /><br />''Stormy is doing extremely well and is living is the best life in squirrel paradise.''<br /><br />Christine added: "He was literally in a poo bag and tissue and he was just absolutely drenched.<br /><br />''I just sat with him down my top and cuddled him and dried him off with a towel. We then took him to the house of one of our volunteer's for him to look after him."<br /><br />The animal is now under the care of another volunteer who is experienced in rehabilitating red squirrels, Judith Hogg - and is being "spoiled with love".<br /><br />The team have confirmed Stormy will be released back into the wild in two to three weeks - in a countryside location with lots of woods, no main roads and with others of his kind.<br /><br />A selection of squirrel boxes are being made by the team, which will be placed around the new area for him to move into.<br /><br />Red squirrels are classed as endangered on The Mammal Society's Red List for Britain's Mammals due to their overall population decline.<br /><br />Scotland supports 75% of the UK population, yet even there they are classed as near threatened.<br /><br />But about 150 years ago, grey squirrels from America were introduced.<br /><br />This has led to competition for food, with grey squirrels coming out on top and red squirrels being "starved out", the trust says.<br /><br />Grey squirrels also carry diseases which can kill red squirrels.<br /><br />The Scottish Wildlife Trust encourages the public to report sightings of squirrels, to allow populations to be monitored.<br /><br />To find updates on Stormy and the other animals in the care of Missing Pets in Perth and Kinross, visit them at: https://www.facebook.com/MissingPetsInPerthAndKinross/?locale=en_GB
