Simone Serfontein never planned on having a pet squirrel, but that’s exactly what she got. Not only did she end up being a foster mom to a squirrel, but a foster grandmother to baby squirrels. It all started on a chilly day in October in South Africa when Simone was visiting a friends house.

The friends saw a baby squirrel fall out of its nest. It cried for its mamma, but the mamma never came. The baby squirrel was so tiny it barely had any fur and her eyes were still closed. Simone says when she picked up her little body which was really cold and shivering.

Simone never dreamed the baby would survive, but she was determined to try. She took her home and named her Dingetjie. She and her boyfriend, Christof had to do lots of research on how to care for a baby squirrel and discovered that they are much like human babies and need fed several times a day, even through the night.

Simone created a cage for Dingetjie, but the squirrel didn’t like it, so she created a nest inside a shoe box instead. The baby eventually even refused to sleep in the shoe box nest and preferred to sleep in bed with Simone.

“She went with me to work every day for the first three months. I normally fed her when I woke up and then get ready and then she got into my scarf, shirt, or anywhere warm close to my body and off we went to work,” said Simone.

Eventually, Simone knew it was time to release Dingetjie back into the wild. They live in the Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa and there are many dangerous animals there, so Simone was worried about Dingetjie’s safety.

Luckily, the little squirrel’s natural instincts kicked in immediately, but the little squirrel still came back to visit her human mommy. Nearly every day Dingetjie would be waiting at the house when Simone returned from work. Eventually, Simone started leaving a window open so the squirrel could come and go in the house as she pleased.

When Dingetjie was just six-months-old, Simone noticed that her belly was getting pudgy and discovered that the little squirrel was pregnant. Dingetjie ended up staying at Simone’s house for most of her pregnancy. They created a nest in a drawer out of toilet paper, but the baby was stillborn.

It wasn’t long before Dingetjie was pregnant again and this time she created several nests around Simone’s home. A healthy baby girl was born and Simone is shocked at how trusting Dingetjie is with her baby. “She allows us to look, touch, and hold her baby,” Simone says. “We never thought she would stay with us, but she chose to.”

Dingetjie now spends most of her time outdoors, but she knows that Simone’s home is a safe place for her and her baby. “She’s such a smart and clever squirrel. I really think that it’s impossible to ever explain the relationship we have with her and the relationship she has with us,” said Simone. “It’s honestly the most incredible thing I have ever experienced.”

If you are as amazed with the story as we are, be sure to share it with your friends. Who can resist an adorable squirrel like Dingetjie?