Quarantined Squirrel Going Wild After 6 Weeks Indoors with Louisiana Woman

Every good squirrel tale needs a plot twist, so Willamina -- the injured squirrel fostered by a Louisiana woman in quarantine -- is getting hers, and we're hoping it's a happy ending.

The headline here is Willamina is taking a big step toward going wild -- a step that was forced by the state after we posted a story last week about Willa and her foster mom, Emily.

Emily joined us on TMZ Live Friday with a big update ... she's handing over Willa to a licensed rehab and release facility after the state's Wildlife and Fisheries Dept. contacted her and said Willa had to go.

As we told you ... Emily took in the baby squirrel just as Louisiana's state lockdown began last month -- she was just a couple weeks old with a badly infected eye. Emily raised her, fed her and got her proper veterinary care.

Pretty heartwarming story, especially amid a global pandemic.

Problem is ... our post, and Emily's social media, got a lot of eyeballs on them, and that's when the state got involved. You can tell Emily's heartbroken she has to be separated from her furry friend -- they've really bonded over the last 6 weeks.

However, she told us it's gonna be a great move for Willamina, 'cause she's about to get hooked up with another squirrel!!!

As Emily says ... squirrels tend to thrive in pairs, and she's hoping this move puts Willa on a better path to eventually getting released into the wild.