Each spring, a brand new litter of floor squirrels make its solution to the floor of Palisades Park, finally turning into accustomed to folks and their scrumptious handouts.
However the metropolis of Santa Monica is reminding the general public to not feed them. There are even purple and white indicators that inform folks feeding the native wildlife “creates an imbalance in native ecology” as they turn into depending on people.
There are, after all, a number of different issues related to feeding the small rodents. They carry parasites and illnesses such because the bubonic plague, rabies and lyme illness that may be transmitted to folks whereas feeding them. Their droppings additionally carry a well being threat.
Then there’s what they’ll do to the land. Although the California floor squirrel is native to the realm, its burrowing can contribute to coastal erosion, particularly alongside the bluffs above Pacific Coast Freeway.
The 26-acre seaside park sits on the prime of the bluffs and is closely utilized by locals and guests, many who cease to admire the four-legged rodents and feed them.
“We begin to see extra floor squirrels in Palisades Park each spring,” stated Tati Simonian, spokesperson for town of Santa Monica. “Identical to the steering in lots of parks and because it says on the signage within the park, we ask guests to not feed the squirrels.”
Floor squirrels at this park have lengthy been an issue for town, which has been cited by the county for overpopulation and has tried quite a few suppression strategies, together with poison, gassing and euthanasia, angering animal-rights teams.
In 2007, town deliberate to regulate the inhabitants of floor squirrels by giving them contraception pictures.
Regardless of these efforts, the bottom squirrel inhabitants continues to develop on this progressive city.
However Santa Monica is just not the one neighborhood coping with these creatures.
In 2019, an absence of predators allowed the bottom squirrel inhabitants to develop at Tres Hermanos Ranch in Chino Hills. In San Pedro, at Level Fermin Park, residents and guests have been excessively feeding the bottom squirrels that its inhabitants there has elevated in recent times.
In San Diego final 12 months, residents reported seeing greater than the standard variety of floor squirrels together with at Liberty Station.
