A dad from Fresno, California, caught a squirrel in his backyard playing with his kids' toys and the animal's reaction once he noticed he was being watched has gone viral among social media users.
In a video shared on TikTok earlier in February under the username @regularrome7, the squirrel is playing with some colorful bubbles on the poster's trampoline, having the time of his life.
As the poster approaches, the squirrel does something unexpected. Instead of running away like any other wild animal would, he runs toward the man, and even hops on his hands for cuddles at the end of the clip.
"Caught him. I guess he likes playing alone. every time I catch him he stops to play with me. he also likes to scare [the f***] out of me too," says the caption.
As it turns out, the poster is not totally unknown to the squirrel.
In another post shared a couple of days later the poster explained that about six months ago, the squirrel, now known as Potato chip, "used" him to hide from a hawk that was trying to get him, and since then he's become a member of the family.
A WebMD article medically reviewed by Dr. Kathleen Claussen explains that not all squirrels are the same, and they are divided into three main types.
There are tree squirrels, the most common species, which often run across tree branches and climb trees at the park or in your backyard. Then there are ground squirrels, which usually live in forests, and hibernate in winter.
And then there are flying squirrels, which don't actually fly, but use the flaps of skin between their legs to glide through the air.
Whether you can actually keep a squirrel as a pet can vary depending on your state or region, so before bringing one home, you should check with your exotic animals veterinarian to discuss the legalities of it.
If you do end up adopting a squirrel for whatever reason, you should know that once they learn how to live in your home they will lose their ability to survive in the wild, and so you must be ready for a lifetime commitment.
Dr. Jess Kirk says in a Vet Explains Pets article that if you happen to find an injured squirrel, the best thing to do is take it to a squirrel rescue and rehabilitation center. These are specialized places that will be able to help the animal.
The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 573,100 views and 52,900 likes on the platform.
One user, Horsemom, commented: "Too cute!!! Kicking that ball like a cat with his back feet."
Overcomingtheworld said: "He said where's the snackies! I know you got em!"
Figgy pudding wrote: "I'm so jealous! This is adorable, [thank you] for sharing."
Teresa Robey added: "He's like da*n you caught me."
Newsweek reached out to @regularrome7 for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case.
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