Typically it’s best to leave wildlife alone. They don’t mean to bug us (except in some rare occasions), and since we all know (and hate) how it feels when someone meddles with our lives, we should really abstain from doing it to other beings.

But there are others times when we must intervene either for Conservation purposes or to save the life of a backyard critter.

One man recently documented his care of a baby squirrel on Imgur – a squirrel he found in a bag of mulch. He could have simply deemed the animal dead and discarded it, but instead he decided to rescue the baby and nurture it back to health. Without his intervention, the squirrel would have certainly not been able to survive.

Today, the young squirrel named Zip is thriving and enjoying his second chance at life. Check out Zip’s amazing story of recovery and growth below!

When the mulch bag was cut open, nearly newborn Zip fell right out…

On day three, Zip was looking better after some necessary force feeding.

Two weeks later, Zip was eating just fine all on his own…

…and he got a bit sleepy after eating just a little too much!

By week four, he was ready to open up his eyes and see the world.

A week later, Zip just couldn’t get enough of his adopted father…

…and he started to play around…

…and eat more solid food.

He also began asking for blueberries. (How could anyone say no to that face?!)

He then basked for a bit in the soft morning sunlight, satisfied with his new life.

If you discover an orphaned or injured wild animal, be sure to read up here for tips on how to provide proper care.

All images: Imgur