The warm winter has caused baby squirrels to fight adults for food. It’s a war – and it’s getting ugly.
Due to the unusually warm weather, squirrels have been forced to compete for food with the adult squirrels who survived the winter. Usually, a large number of squirrels die off in the frigid winter months, but that didn’t happen in nearly the same numbers this year.
Ergo, a war over food.
This squirrel is recovering after a vicious attack by baby squirrels:
Squirrel expert, Leigh Ann Cunningham of the Squirrel Society, estimates adult squirrel populations are 23 to 35 percent above normal – and even higher around Chicago She’s the one that named the fight for food The Great Squirrel War of 2012.
Some squirrels are getting VERY aggressive:
Some are using light sabers:
Cunningham said the winter normally kills off up to 90 percent of the squirrel population with low temperatures, and low food supplies. But, she said the warm winter killed off far fewer adults than normal.
There’s also another wrinkle to the Great Squirrel War of 2012 – increased squirrel numbers are drawing in more hungry hawks than usual to keep the population down. So, now the hawks have joined in the fight.
But the hawks won’t have a chance against squirrels like this one:
Cunningham says she thinks the baby squirrels will win the war. “They have more energy and can get by with fewer nuts.”
We’ll see… WWN is on it!
RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I thought most squirrels liked to stand in the middle of country roads and play Chicken with the drivers. That should thin them out a bit.
Now I will not be able to go to the park anymore with these tree rats running around for fear of getting myself caught in the crossfire.