I love squirrels. I used to feed a squirrel, Nutsie, who lived in my apartment complex. I only fed her pure nuts. She knew me. She'd chase me. She'd come right up to me to be fed. She even touched my shoe with her face. Then I stopped seeing her, so she either left or died.
I have mixed feelings about feeding wildlife. Many people think it shouldn't be done. I understand that. Many people feed unhealthy food to animals. As I just mentioned, I haven't done that (as an adult. As a kid, different story.). I've seen neighbors feeding white bread to birds and squirrels. I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't even buy white bread, cause I wouldn't eat it myself. But even if you're feeding animals healthy, natural food, it can be a problem. You could affect the natural order of things. What if, by feeding wild animals, they procreated more, because food was so plentiful? And then, what if I stopped giving them food, or gave them less? Or what if I moved? Then, perhaps, they would really miss the food that I had been supplying. It could end up hurting them, which, of course, I don't want to do.
Regardless, I can't help participating in the Acorn Relocation Program. I can't recall having seen any acorns in my apartment complex (That I didn't put there.). Squirrels live here, though. When I go for a walk, I'm on the lookout for acorns. When I find some, I pick them up and put them into the plastic bag I brought with me. Sometimes I gather quite a few of them. Then, once I'm back home, I throw the acorns onto a patch of grass that is located in front of my windows.
It doesn't take the squirrels long to find the acorns. It's a lot of fun to watch them, and that's why I do it. It brings some joy into my nearly joyless life. The other day, after putting lots of acorns out for the squirrels, 3 of them were all over the treats. They get so excited. They grab an acorn, then dash off to bury it. I read somewhere that, according to a study, squirrels are good at remembering where they have buried stuff. I hope so. The squirrels around here have buried a lot of acorns.
No comments:
Post a Comment