CUTE looking they may be but ‘street wise’ urban squirrels are becoming a hazard at Chester’s Grosvenor Park, prompting a warning from the authorities.
Cheshire West and Chester Council is being driven nuts by visitors hand-feeding the American Grey variety that frequents the park because it not only leads to them becoming cocky, but also overweight.
A warning notice has been placed on the park gate by Cheshire West and Chester Council headed ‘friend or foe’.
It reads: “Whilst it may be fun to feed the squirrels this is actually a very big problem. Hand-fed squirrels become increasingly confident and stop waiting to be given food. Increasingly, they start to climb into pushchairs, prams and bags to take food for themselves as they recognise humans as being providers of food and of no threat to them.
“Whilst this is not an ‘attack’ it can be very scary for the young child and they are at risk of being scratched by their sharp claws.
“Therefore we advise the following: do not feed the squirrels. There is plenty in the park to provide them with a healthy and balanced diet.”
Council spokeswoman Laura Johnson said there had been ‘a couple’ of reports of people being bitten or scratched.
She said: “We can’t stop people feeding them but we have a duty to warn people what might happen.”
Miss Johnson, who admitted the squirrels were getting ‘fat and cocky’, added: “It’s not natural for them to be fed in this way and is not the natural diet they would find on the forest floor. Some of them are actually overweight.”
