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Letter: Creating paranoia around squirrels

Kelowna letter writer asks how long it will be before humans are the only species left on the planet
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This invasive grey squirrel was spotted in Kelowna City Park last weekend. With no funding allocated to deal with the species, the population will continue to grow, says a TRU researcher. - Credit: Carli Berry/Capital News

To the editor:

An interesting question was posed to me the other day: ‘How long will it be until humans are the only species left in the world?’

It seems that, living in the Okanagan, we are reminded every day of how selfish and cruel humans really are. We have already killed more than 500 bears this year. Some deer have dared venture into some people’s yards in the Upper Mission, so they should be shot. There are too many coyotes, so we’d better get rid of them, or they might eat your kid or your dog. The rabbit fiasco of a few years ago was a terrible nightmare for anyone who loves animals. The poor things were so tame from people feeding them, that they just sat there while the killers shot them in the head. Why? They weren’t doing anything wrong, just living.

Now you are creating paranoia around the squirrels (It’s a squirrels world, Capital News Oct. 13)? We’ve had squirrels living on our property for many years; they bring us nothing but joy. Their antics as they frolic in the trees are exciting and fun to watch. They are the true acrobats of nature. They have eaten a few bulbs over the years, but we have learned to plant species that they and other visitor animals (like deer) don’t like.

We are supposed to live in harmony with our environment. How long do you think it will be until humans are the only species left on this planet?

Sally Kelly, Kelowna