Yahoo India News: Squirrels adopt orphaned relatives

Like humans, squirrels too have a softer side-the critters adopt orphaned relatives, says a new University of Guelph research. Led by Andrew McAdam, along with researchers from the University of Alberta and McGill University [Murray Humphries], the study revealed that red squirrels would adopt pups that have lost their mother. The finding is significant because while such adoptions are typical among species that live in extended family groups, it is much less common among asocial animals, such as squirrels. The study was published in Nature Communications.