I’ve been camping in the desert, and while it may seem like an obvious statement, wow, does it ever get hot! If you’ve been, you know what I mean, and those who haven’t, please, allow me to paint a quick picture. Imagine, standing in a sauna. A dry one. Then, imagine holding a blow dryer in one hand, pointed at your face. In the other hand, you’ve got a fistful of sand. With the hot air of the dryer aimed at your face, now imagine slowly sprinkling the sand in front of you. That, ladies and gentleman, is a day in the desert.
So take that, and now think of wearing a thick, fur suit from head to toe with a long bushy tail included. I think this might be pretty accurate of how this little squirrel was feeling.
Paul Camps from Gloucester, England, was touring the beautiful and vast Grand Canyon in Arizona. On a hot, arid day, typical for the area, Paul saw something skedaddle near his feet, across the rocky terrain. He peered closer and saw it was something he knew from home – a squirrel! But this was no ordinary squirrel Paul was familiar with. This one acted a little bit human and looked a little desperate. The furry animal started following Paul around with his arms straight up. Intrigued, the tourist motioned to his girlfriend to take his bottle of water so he could free up his hands to snap a pic. It was at that exchange when the girlfriend took over the water, which the squirrel shifted his gaze and focus! He had his eyes on the prize, and the prize was the bottle of H2o!
Paul and his girlfriend saw what happened and realized they had to help their buddy. He kneeled down, and the poor thing drank from the bottle, like a teeny tiny human! His arms are up, and hands are helping him secure the bottle to his mouth as he delightfully gulps it up. What strange, human behavior from a squirrel! He’s got a mind of its own. And what a funny story to take home! Paul mentions that after the critter chugged his share of water, he didn’t continue to drink out of the same bottle. This reminds me of a game of charades – the little squirrel acting out for water and Paul and his girlfriend as the animal’s teammates!
Click below to watch this act of kindness that transcends labels like “human” and “animal.”
