Yes, squirrels can recognize individual people, and research and anecdotal evidence from wildlife biologists show they have good memory and ability to distinguish between humans who are a threat and those who are a food source. Studies on Eastern gray squirrels have demonstrated that squirrels can learn to recognize people who regularly feed them versus people who ignore or chase them, and they will approach feeders more quickly and with less fear when a familiar, friendly person is nearby. They use visual cues like facial features, clothing, body shape, and gait, as well as voice and scent, to identify individuals. Squirrels living in urban parks where they interact with many humans often become habituated to specific people who give them peanuts and will come closer to those individuals while avoiding others. They also remember people who have been aggressive toward them and will show more alarm behavior, such as tail flicking and chattering, when those people appear. This ability to recognize people is part of their general intelligence and adaptability, which also allows them to remember where they buried thousands of nuts. Pet squirrels or squirrels that are hand-raised can form strong bonds and clearly recognize their caretakers. So while squirrels do not recognize people the way dogs do, they can and do learn to distinguish between individual humans based on experience.
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