Got yelled at by a park ranger in Yosemite for feeding a squirrel last summer.

I was just trying to give it a peanut, but the ranger came over and explained how human food makes them sick and aggressive. Now I get why those signs are everywhere, you know? Anyone else have a moment like that where a small rule suddenly made total sense?

3 comments

3 Comments

ivanscott6d ago

Was it a gray squirrel or one of the golden mantled ground squirrels? I read an article a while back about how human food, especially stuff like bread or crackers, messes up their digestion and can actually kill them. It also makes them lose their fear of people, so they get hit by cars or become pests. The ranger was right to stop you, even if it felt harsh in the moment. It's one of those rules that seems small but has a big effect on keeping the park wild.

lee8476d ago

Wait, it can actually kill them? That's way more serious than I thought. I figured it was just about not making them beg, not that our snacks were poisonous to them. Makes the ranger's reaction make a lot more sense now.

karen3616d ago

Honestly, does that article say what happens if they eat it just once? Like is a single cracker enough to cause real harm?