Southern Flying Squirrels Found on Lincoln Campus
Lincoln owners of mature trees should know that a species once thought absent from the area now has a documented population near East Campus.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Wildlife
Wild Kingdom co-host Peter Gros visited the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's East Campus to see research on southern flying squirrels, a species long thought to live only in Nebraska's southeast corner. The visit came as UNL installed a replacement for the first nest box ever placed on campus, which had broken.
Why it matters
For Lincoln households near East Campus, the project shows that a native species once assumed absent from the area may be living in mature trees nearby. Because the research relies on public sightings, residents who notice the animals can help track where they live.
The team plans to add 15 boxes in areas identified as likely hotspots, funded in part by a Wild Kingdom conservation grant. The tree inventory on East Campus is largely complete, and the squirrels were first found in a hollow tree in December 2021.
The players
Peter Gros
Host of the Wild Kingdom wildlife series since 1985, known for long-running nature programming on Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.
Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom
Long-running wildlife television brand that co-sponsors the EcoLeaders conservation grant program.
National Wildlife Federation
Conservation organization that partners with Wild Kingdom on the EcoLeaders grant program.
The details
A UNL landscape crew found a group of southern flying squirrels while removing dying trees on East Campus in December 2021. The discovery was notable because the species was long believed to live only in Nebraska's southeast corner, near Indian Cave State Park. UNL received the funding through the EcoLeaders grant program, a partnership between Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and the National Wildlife Federation, with applications reviewed by a panel of biologists, scientists and zoologists. The project will now lean more on citizen science, including a live map where people can report sightings.
Timeline
December 2021: UNL crew finds southern flying squirrels in a hollow tree on East Campus.
Early October: Wild Kingdom season four of "Protecting the Wild" premieres.
November 4: Peter Gros visits UNL East Campus to see the flying squirrel project.
The Home Front
The EcoLeaders partnership between Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and the National Wildlife Federation funds local conservation projects through a panel-reviewed application process. The East Campus effort applies that model to a native species in a city neighborhood setting.
If you live near mature trees in Lincoln and notice small nocturnal squirrels, report sightings through the project's citizen science channels rather than trying to relocate them yourself. Keep dead or dying trees on your property assessed by a licensed arborist, since they can shelter wildlife and may need professional removal.
The takeaway
Mature and hollow trees in Lincoln may be hosting wildlife no one expected, so a yard tree inspection by a licensed arborist is worth scheduling before any removal. If you spot a flying squirrel, log the sighting with the project's citizen science map to help track the population.
What happens next
The team plans to install the 15 added nest boxes in likely hotspot areas with the grant money, and the citizen science sighting map is expected to be developed as the project expands.
Further reading
For more on the local animals sharing Lincoln's green spaces, browse our Wildlife coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Nebraska Public Media.
