Louisiana Woman Raising Wild, Injured Squirrel as Quarantine Pastime

Willamina is a squirrel with kick-ass timing -- she's now living in the lap of luxury, because she showed up in a Louisiana woman's home just as quarantine began.

So, here's the story ... just as Louisiana went on a statewide lockdown, Emily Istre was asked to foster a baby squirrel. Emily's mom had found it injured in her yard. Willamina had a badly infected eye and was dangerously malnourished, but over the last 4 weeks ... that's all turned around.

Yeah, it's a feel-good story, but it also makes for some pretty strange video. Emily told us Willamina is now looking at her as the mama squirrel she never knew -- and also as a tree.

Willamina's eye has healed, but the infection left her blind, and she's clearly making herself right at home ... running up and down her adoptive mother no matter what's happing in the house.

We know what you're thinking, and the squirrel's been tested. No rabies, but she does have her own IG page now. Naturally.

Emily's rehabbed sick animals before -- usually birds -- but always released them to the wild. Watch the video ... she explains why Willamina's a different story.