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Varmint Vandals

By Will Snyder

Dec 21, 2004

In the manicured lawns of suburban homes many a complaint is heard about squirrels destroying birdfeeders or digging up patches of grass. At the Cincinnati Zoo, the complaint is that the bushytails are stealing Christmas decorations.

A rampant squirrel population has been observed unscrewing small light bulbs in holiday displays and then carrying them back to their nests. One employee at the zoo has a theory that the squirrels mistake the bulbs for nuts. They remove the small lights (which are similar in shape to a walnut or acorn), then when they're unable to crack the glass, discard the bulb.

The zoo does ask that visitors not feed the animals, however there aren't any signs that forbid giving the squirrels a mouthful of filaments.

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