Man lifts toilet lid at Virginia home, finds a flying squirrel doggy paddling in bowl

Mice, frogs and even snakes have been known to make their way through pipes into toilets, but one Virginia man lifted the lid at 7:30 a.m. to find something truly unusual: a live flying squirrel.

It happened Thursday, Oct. 27, in Midlothian, and he did exactly what the rest of us would do — slammed the lid, got out of the bathroom and closed the door behind him, according to Virginia Wildlife Management and Control. Midlothian is about 15 miles west of downtown Richmond.

“He was in complete disbelief and his wife called us immediately,” Virginia Wildlife owner Rich Perry told McClatchy News.

“He was in the kitchen and heard splashing and thought the toilet was broken. Then he lifted the lid and saw two eyes staring back at him and immediately put the lid down, went upstairs to his wife and said: ‘You are not going to believe this, but there’s something in the toilet.’”

They had no idea what it was, but assumed it was a rat “and it was trying to get out,” Perry said.

“Imagine our surprise when we got there, opened the lid and found it was actually a swimming squirrel,” he said. “I’ve been in this business 35 years and not once have I ever heard of a flying squirrel being in someone’s toilet. Snakes, yes, but no flying squirrels.”

It’s not clear how the doggy paddling rodent slipped into the house and found its way into the toilet without anyone noticing. But Perry said there’s little chance of a flying squirrel coming through the pipes.

“Believe it or not, flying squirrels can get into houses very easily and can also squeeze between the gaps in the toilet seats,” Perry says.

Flying squirrels, native to Virginia, nest in trees and are harmless to humans. However, their amazing capabilities — including the ability to glide from tree to tree — do not include being able to fly soaking wet out of the cramped confines of a toilet bowl.

The call was considered a rescue, but Perry did not reveal the fate of the squirrel.

Social media commenters appeared to be horrified at the story, noting the squirrel was cute but definitely unwelcome in their bathroom.

“How does this even happen?” Amanda McLaughlin Hollowell posted.

“Now it’s time to figure out how it got in,” Christopher J. Bocchino wrote.

This story was originally published October 28, 2022 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Man lifts toilet lid at Virginia home, finds a flying squirrel doggy paddling in bowl."