Savvy squirrel who foiled burglary says farewell to his human family

Despite being a squirrel, Joey was Adam Pearl’s prized pet.

When Joey was a squirrel baby — separated and shunned from his nest — Pearl and his wife decided to foster the rodent, waking up every two hours to feed him.

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Pearl kept the rescue animal in his home for 10 months, and until recently, their relationship was of a low-key variety.

That is, until Joey decided to scare a burglar who was trying to break into the home’s safe. Joey scratched the robber until he left the home, achieving notoriety for his efforts.

But as the warmer months approached, Joey began to show signs of wanting to return to the wild.

Pearl left a sliding door open earlier this month, and Joey vanished into the veritable jungle.

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“I think that was his goodbye, looking back on it,” he said.

He also said “If I had to guess, he found a girlfriend and they’re off doing their squirrel thing.”