That's a nutty way to carry the kids around! Mummy squirrel uses her mouth to transport kittens to new home

ORIGINAL: Daily Mail

By LAWRENCE CONWAY

5 June 2012

• Dramatic pictures of red squirrel carrying babies in her mouth captured by amateur photographer in Canada
• The mother squirrel took dramatic action after getting spooked by homeowner gardening near her nest 

A squirrel took drastic action to protect her offspring after deciding that her human neighbours were getting too close for comfort.

The red squirrel had set up home inside an old birdhouse in the back garden of a home in the Canadian city of Winnipeg.

But the presence of the homeowner Ken Yuel, 57, in the garden saw the cute bushy tailed scrambler decide to move on.

Bushy: The red squirrel bounds along a garden fence in Canada with a baby in its mouth after deciding it no longer wanted to live in the old birdhouse where it had first set up home

Instinct: The helpless squirrel baby with its barely open eyes can be seen curled up in its mother's jaw as she transports it to a new home

Dash: With its helpless offspring firmly in its jaw this red squirrel transports a young family member to a new home after deciding a move was in order

Mr Yuel, an amateur photographer, was gardening at the time and rushed inside to grab his camera when he saw the squirrel on the move.

He said: 'I noticed that a red squirrel had chewed the entrance to a small birdhouse I had built, she then moved in and had her babies.

'Well the mother didn't like me working around her new home as I did yard work, so she decided it was time to move.

'I was able to watch and capture the mother squirrel as she fought to remove each of the seven babies.'

Maneuver: The agile red squirrel hangs upside down from the old birdhouse with a baby in her mouth after deciding she wanted to move on

Grasp: The red squirrel expertly grabs its helpless offspring in its jaw before bounding off along a garden fence and setting up a new home

The red squirrel moved the babies one at a time, running along the fence into Mr Yuel's next door neighbour's garden.

Each time she jumped onto the neighbour's shed and pushed the baby through a hole above the door.

He said: 'It took the mother squirrel about 30 minutes to move all the babies.

'I was amazed to see that seven babies were housed inside, each time the mother removed one I thought there can't be anymore left but she would return and get another one.

'When I processed the photos I knew I had a couple good shots that were not likely to be captured again by anyone for a long time.'

Determined: The squirrel can be seen with a baby in her mouth squeezing out of the hole in the birdhouse that she had chewed out before giving birth