Having squirrels as friends has been fun for Derrick Downey Jr. He shares that it’s also an important part of his mental health journey.
Some people have a way with animals. Derrick Downey Jr. has a way with a species usually not too fond of humans: squirrels. The Los Angeles resident documents his usual and heartwarming interactions with the wild animals on social media.
His first interaction was with two squirrels he named Richard and Maxine.
“It started with Richard going across my fence, and he stopped for a second. I looked at him, and I was like, ‘Hey, buddy. You hungry?’" Derrick told Inside Edition’s Andrea Swindall.
“So I reached my hand up, and he grabbed my hand and pulled it closer to his mouth to grab the food. So from there, I was like, 'Okay, maybe he was listening to me.' There's something here."
Richard and Maxine are the stars of Derrick’s TikTok videos. But several others make appearances, all with hilarious names.
“Listen, I am from North Carolina,” Derrick said. “I am very much country. So, the names that they have are rooted in just old Black country names. Now Niblet, that's a little different, but Nibblyne, Maxine, Richard, Hood Rat Raymond, come on now.”
In his videos, Derrick talks to the squirrels, pets them and has built a home for them. The squirrels even rap and are a part of funny news segments.
Having squirrels as friends has been entertaining for Derrick. He shares that it’s also a part of his mental health journey.
“So I was dealing with health issues, which caused me to go down a dark space,” he said.
“My escape for that was to go outside, walk around, and connect with nature. In that came the relationships that I started building with Richard and Maxine and all the other squirrels. It's still a space that I haven't figured out completely, but the healing happened with me just being in nature.”
For others struggling in life, he stresses that everyone’s journey is different, which is okay.
“For somebody else, it may be hanging with a group of friends on the weekend. It may be breaking down that wall and becoming more vulnerable,” he said. “That was a part for me as well.”
“So I would encourage people to go with what feels good to them and put away all the noises and things that they hear from outsiders saying what you should do. Do what you feel is right, and that's going to lead you down the path that you need to go.”
Derrick’s uplifting content is a hit on social media. And he's gotten millions of views on TikTok.
“It is a page where people can just enjoy for a minute or a moment, however long you want to stay tuned in,” Derrick explains. “But it's a relief from the craziness of the world.”
“I am extremely grateful and thankful to be a vessel for that. And I don't take it for granted.”
Derrick’s influence has led to the opportunity to work on a book, which he will soon self-publish.
“What I want to accomplish with it is to tell a story that resonates with children but also that resonates with adults. And I think I've done that,” he shared.
Even with his busy schedule, Derrick will continue to keep his page positive and advocate for mental health.
“So if you can, find your escape in nature, in solitude in group sessions. Whatever it looks like, healing doesn't look the same for everybody,” Derrick said."
"If you are going through anything, it will be okay. You'll make it through the storm. All you got to do is hold on.’"
