Rock squirrels
Rock squirrels are one of the native critters we see around our campsite every day.
They’re like the grey squirrels we have in the northeast, just a little smaller but fatter, with shorter less bushy tails. And they chase each other about in the evenings.
Today I met two students from University of Georgia doing research on the rock squirrel population here in Zion. (Again, who knew this was a thing?!)
Anna and Mckenzie put out 10 Hav-a-Heart traps with peanut butter bait, catching 7 squirrels in the 1st hour here this morning in the campground. Early findings from their research in the mobile field lab indicate over-population and disease, e.g. many of the squirrels show signs of aggression — bites on their tales — along with very high flea counts.
Anna and Mckenzie were very passionate about their work, and seemed to be having fun doing it. It was nice to meet future scientists!
Overpopulation? Hmmm...did the scientists have a solution for such a quandary? If they need any help with resolving this, have them give me a ring.
Maybe they could come and trap some squirrels at my house. They are pretty phat too…..