A short term patient.

Got a call from a great kid who came across this unfortunate fella in the middle of a busy intersection in town. It was acting dazed and trying to run and falling over. He managed to scoop it up and get it to me.

(Yes they do come out during warmer periods over the winter, they are not true hibernators.)

Well by the time I got him and peeked in the box he was already making awkward attempts to jump out of the box. I set him up in a nice cozy cage to de-stress and rest for a while.

His exam showed him to be in great shape actually. No external injuries other than a swollen eye and all his limbs were working just fine. His body condition was great! He was most likely grazzed and stunned by a car during a sluggish trip above ground.

After a night of rest our little chippy was back to being alert and active and very quick! (and pooping and peeing fine as you can see!) No evidence of internal injures....good!

Fresh water and some yummy foods were eagerly consumed.
Then a nice hot pack for the closed eye and voila! Everything normal under there too!

I brought him back to the intersection where the kid found him to scope out a safe place to release him. I opted for the parking lot of a local ice cream shop that's got some yards and bushes around it. I opened the cage toward the direction I wanted him to go near some nice bushes, then he did an about face and proceeded to start to run the opposite way right across the open parking lot! Visions of him heading towards the road and getting squished right in front of me dancing in my head!
But no.....like it or not that ice cream store has it's resident chipmunk back! Because he knew exactly where to find that hole under the corner of the building.....he made a bee line right for it, no hesitation, no searching. He is home sweet home! Good luck little fella!

Insert warm fuzzy here! :)