Little Brother is alive and well.

Almost one week after a local woman’s pet squirrel reverted tothe wild side and left the comfy indoor life behind, the3-month-old rodent is apparently adjusting well to his new home innature. Ann McManus, a nurse at Claiborne County Hospital, spottedher lost child feasting high in the trees behind the Cracker Barrelgas station on Highway 51 North Wednesday afternoon.

“That’s what I wanted for him. He’s home and he’s where he needsto be,” she said.

McManus raised Little Brother from a pup since he was foundabandoned or lost at one week of age. The squirrel was domesticatedand calm as could be, perching on McManus’ shoulder, riding in hercar and even going on road trips with her and her friends.

“He’s been in Wal-Mart before and they never knew it,” McManussaid.

Last Friday, Little Brother apparently got spooked by the noiseof Highway 51 and fled McManus when she stopped to visit a friendat Southern Care and Hospice. He ran up a power pole and thwarted awould-be rescue attempt by an Entergy lineman.

After that, Little Brother was off to the trees and has not comeback. He’s probably not going to, either.

“I talked to him and he kind of cocked his head like herecognized the voice, but he wouldn’t come down,” McManus said. “Ittakes them about three days to convert back to the wild, and he’sbeen gone five. I’m not going to try to recapture him. He’srunning, playing, eating – he looks good.”

McManus was alerted to Little Brother’s successful adaptation tothe wild when Reggie Martin, who lives in the mobile home parkwhere the squirrel has taken up residence, spotted him. Thesquirrel count there is low, and Martin knew he’d found the rightrodent.

“I watched (McManus) looking up in the tree all day. My bossbrought me out here and said, ‘Reggie, please tell me what is upwith this woman, it’s driving me crazy,'” he said.