[NatureNS] The Forgotten History of How Cities Almost Killed the Common Squirrel

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Here is an interesting article from Atlantic Cities magazine. I didn't know
that in the 1700's Grey Squirrels 'roamed in great herds' and that by the
early 1800's were mostly gone from the cities.

The Forgotten History of How Cities Almost Killed the Common
Squirrel<http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-lifestyle/2013/12/how-ci=
ties-almost-killed-common-squirrel/7908/>

"If there's one thing that humans are good at, though, it's ridding the
world of things. Luck began to sour for the squirrels in the early 1800s,
when the growth of cities and the resulting deforestation ruined much of
their natural habitat. The ones that weren't left homeless were blasted off
of branches by urban hunters in search of a pelt or a hot meal =96 recipe
books at the time abounded with squirrels all broiled, fried, roasted,
fricasseed, and swimming in an oyster-and-cream "Kentucky
Burgoo<http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmeats.html#burgoo>"
that was the talk of the town on Derby Day.
And so cities arrived at the point when a sighting of a lone squirrel could
paralyze pedestrian traffic. "The idea that dozens of people would gather
to see a squirrel says something about how unusual they were," says Benson.
"


--=20
Rick Ballard
Dartmouth,Nova Scotia, Canada

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:georgia,=
serif">Here is an interesting article from Atlantic Cities magazine. I didn=
&#39;t know that in the 1700&#39;s Grey Squirrels &#39;roamed in great herd=
s&#39; and that by the early 1800&#39;s were mostly gone from the cities.</=
div>
<div><br></div><div><a href=3D"http://www.theatlanticcities.com/arts-and-li=
festyle/2013/12/how-cities-almost-killed-common-squirrel/7908/">The Forgott=
en History of How Cities Almost Killed the Common Squirrel</a><br></div><di=
v>
<br></div><div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:georgia,se=
rif">&quot;<span style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:&#39;Palatino Linoty=
pe&#39;,&#39;Book Antiqua&#39;,Palatino,&#39;Times New Roman&#39;,Times,ser=
if;font-size:14px;line-height:19px">If there&#39;s one thing that humans ar=
e good at, though, it&#39;s ridding the world of things. Luck began to sour=
 for the squirrels in the early 1800s, when the growth of cities and the re=
sulting deforestation ruined much of their natural habitat. The ones that w=
eren&#39;t left homeless were blasted off of branches by urban hunters in s=
earch of a pelt or a hot meal =96 recipe books at the time abounded with sq=
uirrels all broiled, fried, roasted, fricasseed, and swimming in an oyster-=
and-cream &quot;</span><a href=3D"http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmeats.htm=
l#burgoo" style=3D"font-family:&#39;Palatino Linotype&#39;,&#39;Book Antiqu=
a&#39;,Palatino,&#39;Times New Roman&#39;,Times,serif;font-size:14px;line-h=
eight:19px;text-decoration:none;color:rgb(22,170,177)">Kentucky Burgoo</a><=
span style=3D"color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:&#39;Palatino Linotype&#39;,&#39=
;Book Antiqua&#39;,Palatino,&#39;Times New Roman&#39;,Times,serif;font-size=
:14px;line-height:19px">&quot; that was the talk of the town on Derby Day.<=
/span></div>
<div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:georgia,serif"><span styl=
e=3D"color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:&#39;Palatino Linotype&#39;,&#39;Book Ant=
iqua&#39;,Palatino,&#39;Times New Roman&#39;,Times,serif;font-size:14px;lin=
e-height:19px">And so cities arrived at the point when a sighting of a lone=
 squirrel could paralyze pedestrian traffic. &quot;The idea that dozens of =
people would gather to see a squirrel says something about how unusual they=
 were,&quot;=A0says Benson.</span>&quot;</div>
<br></div><div><br></div>-- <br><span style=3D"font-family:georgia,serif">R=
ick Ballard </span><br style=3D"font-family:georgia,serif"><span style=3D"f=
ont-family:georgia,serif">Dartmouth,Nova Scotia, Canada </span><br style=3D=
"font-family:georgia,serif">
<span style=3D"font-family:georgia,serif"></span>
</div>

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