A strange video of a black flying squirrel holding a broom and then lying flat on the ground, with its belly upwards, is going viral. In the video, it appears that the wild squirrel has been domesticated as the footage is taken inside someone’s home. This undated video was shared on Twitter by the popular account Crazy Clips (@crazyclipsonly) on June 4. So far, it has gathered over five lakh views. While sharing the clip, @crazyclipsonly jokingly wrote, “Squirrel fakes an injury.” While many pets like dogs pretend to fake an injury in an attempt to get their owner’s attention, it is unclear if the flying squirrel is exhibiting the same behaviour. Commenting on the flying squirrel’s video, a Twitter user wrote: “wow flying squirrel went lying squirrel”. A Twitter user also noted that animals like black flying squirrels should not be domesticated and wrote: “These animals need to be in the wild.” According to Misfit Animals, an expert-led website dedicated ‘to making people aware of animals’, flying squirrels are high-energy wild animals that need to regularly jump and leap around to stretch their limbs. These movements are often restricted in small urban homes. Therefore, many animal rights activists argue that black flying squirrels should not be confined as pets. Additionally, unlike other squirrels, they are nocturnal. They also need specialised veterinary care which is not easily available in most veterinary centres. Black flying squirrels are found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. They forage on nuts and fruits and mostly live in tree hollows.
