Aw Nuts, More W.Va. Squirrels Becoming Road Kill
Food shortage blamed for squirrel deaths
By TIM HUBER
Updated 1:01 PM EDT, Tue, Sep 22, 2009
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Big numbers of squashed squirrels are piling up along West Virginia roads, where a statewide nut shortage has the critters searching for food and often finding speeding vehicles instead.
While squirrel road kill is as much a part of autumn as college football, the death toll is unusually high this year, state Division of Natural Resources official Paul Johansen said. The supply of acorns, other nuts and berries is at a 40-year low and experts say that's forcing squirrels to move about more in search of food.
The phenomenon apparently hasn't spread to surrounding states such as Ohio and Maryland, which are reporting fewer squirrel deaths -- and better nut crops.
Chicago-based Project Squirrel's Steve Sullivan said gray squirrels range so far they once were considered a migratory species.
Copyright Associated Press
First Published: Sep 22, 2009 11:40 AM EDT
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