A Squirrel in a Taxi: Petr Pankratov and His Squirrel Masik
A squirrel in a taxi, a soldier and his baby squirrel, Petr Pankratov and Masik – that’s what you could call this unusual story.
It started in Belarus. Petr was a warrant officer serving as company sergeant major in a special forces unit in Maryina Horka. One day soldiers brought him a tiny baby squirrel – it was very weak and almost dying.
Petr and Masik
Day and night Petr took care of the little one: he fed it like a baby, with infant formula from a syringe every four hours. He had to wake up at night and feed it in his spare moments on duty.
A taxi with a squirrel
Petr Pankratov
After the army, Petr became a taxi driver in Minsk, and of course his beloved Masik rode everywhere with him. His business cards even said: “Petr. Taxi with a Squirrel.” Customers booked his car specially to ride with the squirrel.
“Petr. Taxi with a Squirrel”
Masik rides in a BMW and even plays the chauffeur :-)
Masik at the wheel
And he rides even in his sleep.
Napping on the road
At home
Masik made friends with the family cat.
Masik and the cat
He sleeps on his favorite beret,
The favorite beret
sometimes in a little bed,
In bed
and sometimes simply in a hand – that’s even nicer.
Asleep in a palm
A TV star
Masik became a celebrity: he and Petr traveled to Moscow for TV shoots and even met Zhirinovsky – to discuss matters of national importance :-)
Meeting Zhirinovsky
Petr and Masik in Moscow
A video story about Petr Pankratov and his squirrel Masik (in Russian):
Such an unusual story of friendship between a man and a squirrel.