Claim to Fame
Sam Singer, “Squirrel Huggers” • Tue Apr 12 2005
Singer, a writer for The Michigan Daily, argues that feeding the squirrels on campus is a dangerous pastime.
Older NewerEnter the Squirrel Club. Founded in 2002, the organization boasts a membership of more than 350. It convenes weekly (in groups of about 50) during warm months and less often over the winter, to feed on-campus squirrel populations.
I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right: the act of feeding a squirrel, in-and-of itself, is harmless. The problem comes, however, when the process is streamlined — in this case, when fifty kids walk around campus every week showering squirrels with food supplements. Though undoubtedly well intentioned, club gatherings may have profound impacts on the behavioral patterns of our local squirrels, each of which run the risk of developing a dangerous reliance on student generosity.
