Canice
09-27-2006, 10:41 PM
Didn't I post a poll about squirrels just last year?
(09-27) 18:54 PDT -- A fierce squirrel attacked a 4-year-old boy at Mountain View's Cuesta Park last week as the rodent tried to wrestle a muffin out of the boy's hands, leaving him with scratch and bite marks that prompted a series of precautionary rabies shots.
The skirmish wasn't the first time the park's numerous tree squirrels targeted picnickers.
Mountain View Community Services Director David Muela said today that as many as six people have been bitten or scratched by squirrels since May, and that the attacks have become more ferocious in the last month. One squirrel even went so far as to jump into a child's stroller.
Ironically, efforts to curb the behavior may have exacerbated the squirrels' aggressive tendencies, Muela said.
This summer, the city installed new trash receptacles featuring metal tops with a latch that makes it nearly impossible for an animal to rummage through the can in search of food. Increased park ranger patrols and flier distributions cautioning against feeding the animals might have further cut the squirrels' food supply, prompting them to act more assertively in their quest for food.
As a last resort, the city is now looking to trap the animals for possible euthanization, Muela said.
The state Department of Fish and Game recommends against relocating habituated squirrels, he said, because their fear of humans has diminished and the problem is likely to remain. Instead, the department recommends the animals be put to sleep, Muela said.
The city hopes to launch the trapping program as early as this week when a series of metal barrels should be installed in the trees.
Muela said the city can't afford to wait and see if the squirrels' aggressive behavior goes away eventually, because of the threat posed to public health and safety.
Emphasizing his concern for the welfare of park visitors, Muela said, "We will need the public's cooperation on this, because as long as they continue to feed the squirrels it will exacerbate the problem."
Although the squirrels' behavior has led some to fear the animals might be rabid, Muela said that is highly unlikely because incidents of rabid tree squirrels are extremely rare.
URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/baycitynews/archive/2006/09/27/squirrel27.DTL
(09-27) 18:54 PDT -- A fierce squirrel attacked a 4-year-old boy at Mountain View's Cuesta Park last week as the rodent tried to wrestle a muffin out of the boy's hands, leaving him with scratch and bite marks that prompted a series of precautionary rabies shots.
The skirmish wasn't the first time the park's numerous tree squirrels targeted picnickers.
Mountain View Community Services Director David Muela said today that as many as six people have been bitten or scratched by squirrels since May, and that the attacks have become more ferocious in the last month. One squirrel even went so far as to jump into a child's stroller.
Ironically, efforts to curb the behavior may have exacerbated the squirrels' aggressive tendencies, Muela said.
This summer, the city installed new trash receptacles featuring metal tops with a latch that makes it nearly impossible for an animal to rummage through the can in search of food. Increased park ranger patrols and flier distributions cautioning against feeding the animals might have further cut the squirrels' food supply, prompting them to act more assertively in their quest for food.
As a last resort, the city is now looking to trap the animals for possible euthanization, Muela said.
The state Department of Fish and Game recommends against relocating habituated squirrels, he said, because their fear of humans has diminished and the problem is likely to remain. Instead, the department recommends the animals be put to sleep, Muela said.
The city hopes to launch the trapping program as early as this week when a series of metal barrels should be installed in the trees.
Muela said the city can't afford to wait and see if the squirrels' aggressive behavior goes away eventually, because of the threat posed to public health and safety.
Emphasizing his concern for the welfare of park visitors, Muela said, "We will need the public's cooperation on this, because as long as they continue to feed the squirrels it will exacerbate the problem."
Although the squirrels' behavior has led some to fear the animals might be rabid, Muela said that is highly unlikely because incidents of rabid tree squirrels are extremely rare.
URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/baycitynews/archive/2006/09/27/squirrel27.DTL