By: Elijah Immanuel

        Have you ever taken a nice stroll down campus, looking around at all the  beautiful sights until your gaze befalls on an adorable little rodent scurrying up a tree? Yes. These are the SU squirrels, and the campus Squirrels and students have lived alongside one another in harmony for many years.

      But let me assure you, these fuzzy little creatures are NOT as nice as they seem. While they have grown comfortable with our presence, it’s important to remember that these are still feral animals who prefer to be left in peace. There was an occasion last year where eyewitnesses saw a bunch of squirrels getting into a fight for unknown reasons. It can be assumed that they were fighting over territory, as at the end one squirrel chased the other far away from its tree before returning safely to its own territory. One witness shook her head at the incident, stating, “I just couldn’t believe my eyes.”

     These “Turf Wars” as they’re called, actually happen quite frequently. But we are more used to the cuter sights, like a fluffy tail bouncing away gleefully. They also tend to dig food out of the trash or off the ground. Last year it was not uncommon to see a squirrel pulling a colorful SU cookie out of the trash and dragging it away to its lair. It’s these happy sights that make us go “aw” and keeps us happy that these cute creatures are a part of our everyday lives.

       There is one thing we need to remember in order to keep the peace between students, squirrels, and ALL wildlife at SU. And that is one simple rule, do NOT feed the squirrels! In this video I’m about to show you, a son and mother are the living testimony as to why you should never feed wildlife.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk6ZwDESxBs )

      In summary, the squirrel who has grown too comfortable with humans and who was potentially being fed, now turned against the very hands that fed him. Squirrels are very smart and independent, and wildly capable of feeding themselves just fine. All jokes aside, while it’s fun to admire these creatures from afar, it’s important not to break the laws that nature has set in place.

    When in doubt, remember. The squirrels, are NOT nice.