Since the beginning of summer, hundreds, if not thousands, of squirrels have died under the wheels of drivers, traveling the roads of Vermont, a region located in the northeastern United States.
This story is based on an observation made by one of the Boston Globe journalists, Kevin Cullen. The latter noticed that many squirrels, actually squirrels, a species close to the squirrel, had thrown themselves under the wheels of his vehicle in recent weeks.
“There is no other way to put it: I killed dozens of squirrels this summer. Even hundreds, “he writes in his column published on August 9 last and seen by the site Slate.fr. And contrary to appearances, the journalist wants to explain that this mass murder is not the result of a deliberate act. On the contrary. “I love animals and would never hurt one on purpose. But still, technically speaking, I’m a serial squirrel killer. “
The phenomenon is such that many promoters of New England now they are traumatized. “Last week, a reckless rodent stopped in the middle of the road, looking at me with adorable little brown eyes, as I pounced on it. Finally, it was the pick-up that followed me that crushed him like a pancake “, recalls the journalist, specifying that” all these deaths – and all this remorse “had deleterious effects on his sleep. So much so that he had to consult a therapist.
Behind this unprecedented phenomenon is one of the effects of global warming. To Bill Killpatrick, biologist and professor emeritus at the University of Vermont, this demonstration would be the result of an unprecedented increase in the chipmunk population.
The latter indicates that due to climatic changes and milder winters, their hibernation periods have been drastically shortened and, consequently, their ranges have increased. This generates greater territorial struggles, hence their presence on the roads of Vermont to protect their parcels, chasing each other under the wheels of the drivers, without thinking about the consequences.