Title: Host Accuses Guest of Leaving a Sugar Glider in an AirBnB, Then Confirms It Was a Flying Squirrel

A recent stay at a charming cabin—booked through a rental company for the owners and listed on AirBnB—turned into an unexpected dispute after checkout. I, along with my boyfriend and parents, enjoyed a few days in the cabin without any immediate issues. Two days after we checked out, the property owner reached out with a surprising question, saying she needed to call me because she had a “crazy question.”

During the call, the owner reminded me of the cabin’s strict no-pets policy and then asked if I might have left a sugar glider there, claiming that a sugar glider had jumped onto her cleaning staff from the loft. I responded that I hadn’t, and asked whether she might be certain it wasn’t a flying squirrel. She insisted that the area doesn’t have flying squirrels, noting a mural in town and a local wildlife exhibit as evidence to the contrary. I suggested they seek a positive identification from a wildlife center or park service.

Despite the owner’s courtesy, it was clear she didn’t fully believe me, and I wasn’t sure how to proceed. With a background as a veterinary technician who worked with exotic animals and wildlife rehabilitation, I possess practical knowledge about sugar gliders, which may have come across as unusual to someone who doesn’t own one. She indicated she planned to involve AirBnB in the matter, and I wondered how I could effectively address a negative claim through the platform.

Update: The owner took the situation to a local National Park Service office, where the animal was positively identified as a flying squirrel, not a sugar glider. The young creature is now with a rehabber and is slated for release into a suitable habitat.