Trube Stories: 'Squirrel Man' Of Oak Cliff
By Emily Trube | @KRLDEmily
OAK CLIFF (KRLD) -- What do you do when you find an injured wild animal in your yard? We typically know what to do when a dog or cat is sick or roaming around loose, but finding the next step in helping, say, a hurt raccoon or an abandoned baby possum is a little more complicated.
Rian Purvis wanted to do something for an injured squirrel she found in her backyard a couple of weeks ago, but what? An online search led to the SPCA, which led to the Texas Wildlife Commission. It turns out, there are compassionate souls out there who are trained and licensed caretakers for wild animals of all kinds.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife website has a list of Wildlife Rehabilitators by county. In Dallas County, the man to call for small mammals is Jim Beveridge. So, Purvis and her husband loaded the injured squirrel into a cat carrier and took him to Beveridge's historic Oak Cliff home.
During the day, Jim Beveridge puts his energy into his career as an educator in an ICU at a Dallas hospital. He spends most of the rest of his time caring for his little patients at home.
Right now, Beveridge has more than 40 animals in his rehab facilities -- lots of squirrels and a baby possum. He started rehabbing small mammals about 14 years ago, after his dogs brought two baby squirrels up to the door. He named them Ben and Jerry.
"I went to the pet story and tried to buy supplies. The lady at the pet store was a squirrel rehabber and she saw what I was buying," says Beveridge. "She kind of mentored me through it. And then she called me and asked 'Do you want four more?' And then she called me and said 'Do you want six more?'"
Beveridge took a course and got licensed through the state to rehab small mammals, including squirrels, raccoons, armadillos, bunnies and possums.
Here's more of my interview with Jim about the kinds of animals he is certified to care for.....
The animals under Beveridge's care begin their stay in a bright and sunny room in his house that he has named the "Zoo Room." That is where very young or hurt animals spend some time. Once they are well enough or big enough, they move outside to a series of large cages in his backyard.
When they are ready, he releases them back into the wild.
There is one exception, and that's Nutmeg, who has become a permanent resident in Beveridge's foyer.
"She's my greeter," says Beveridge.
Nutmeg is unable to live in the wild because of her blonde color and lack of camouflage. When Beveridge came across her, she was being kept as an educational and demonstration animal. But, she apparently wasn't happy as a career woman and started biting her handlers.
Beveridge agreed to take her in. He says there's still a chance her biting days are not over, so he gives her a very hard-to-open Brazil nut to keep her distracted while he straightens up her "condo" and changes out her food and water.
If you find a baby or injured animal who needs help, Beveridge encourages you to get in touch with a certified rehabilitator like himself. In addition to the Texas Parks and Wildlife website, he recommends people in North Texas also check out the DFW Wildlife Coalition website or call 972-234-WILD.
(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)