Scampering squirrels snitch snacks
Andrew Riggs / The Collegian
California Gray Squirrels thrive on food handouts at Fresno State. Some staff members said they toss the furry critters peanuts while on break.
(below) Squirrels are known to congregate on some areas of campus. Employees in the McKee Fisk building said as many as seven squirrels snag snacks there.
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By David Kassis
The Collegian
We have all seen them bustling around campus, and no I’m not talking about University High School students, I’m talking about squirrels.
Most people don't pay a great deal of attention to the little animals as they scurry around Fresno State, but squirrels are just as much a part of campus as students or professors.
The campus critters are California Gray Squirrels, said biology professor Madhusudan Katti.
A suburban environment, like Fresno State, provides a good habitat for the rodents. "They seem to be doing all right here," Katti said.
While squirrels are known to gather and horde nuts, some faculty members have decided to lend a helping hand in this process.
One particular spot where many squirrels can be found is the McKee Fisk building. Ellen Blaine, a director’s assistant for Information Technology Services, is fond of the squirrels and enjoys the opportunity to give them food.
“I come outside in the afternoon for a break with a handful of peanuts,” Blaine said. “They follow us around and we feed them.”
Blaine said that there are as many as six or seven regular squirrels outside the McKee Fisk building, some of which run up to the sliding glass doors and run inside. “We actually have one that comes through the doors and runs up the stairs, so that is kind of funny,” Blaine said.
Sylvia DeLeon, a data control technician, also works in the same building. “Our squirrels are very friendly, we call them the ITS squirrels,” DeLeon said. “One of them has come through my window and onto my desk to eat peanuts.”
Senior Joe Castillo, a recreation major, also likes to see the rodents around campus. “I think squirrels are great,” Castillo said. “They give us a sense of nature within the busy campus.”
While the squirrels can be enjoyable, Castillo sometimes worries about their safety. “It can be annoying when I’m riding my bike and they bolt across the walkways,” Castillo said. “I’m worried that I’ll run them over.
“Sometimes they get really close to people, so I hope they don’t get stepped on because people are afraid to be bitten.”
Blaine and DeLeon both noticed that in the past few months, fewer squirrels have been lingering around their part of the campus.
“There are not as many squirrels as there used to be around here,” DeLeon said. “Maybe they’re cutting down trees and scaring them away, or maybe they just went to a different part of campus.”
Blaine does not know of the reason for the disappearance of the squirrels, but thinks foxes on campus could have something to do with it. “A lot of people enjoy the squirrels, and we miss them,” Blaine said.
If students do happen upon a squirrel on campus, DeLeon hopes they will be considerate to the animals.
“Kids really need to watch out for the squirrels,” DeLeon said. “Some boys will be mean and chase them off. Squirrels won’t bite or anything, they just want food. Be nice to them.”
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