article

A Connecticut animal hospital says they’re treating four baby squirrels found tied together by their tails in a bizarre act of animal abuse.

The Kensington Bird and Animal Hospital in Berlin said in a Facebook post Thursday that the animals are recovering, but their tails are broken and may need to be amputated.

It says tail knotting does happen naturally in the wild, but that this appears to be the act of a person.

The hospital says the animals were “tangled, braided, and purposefully tied together” with a man-made object. It also says the animals were found on train tracks, which is another possible indicator of animal cruelty.

The hospital stresses that animal abuse is “never OK” and that it should always be reported.