Those Pesky Squirrels

In September 2006, concern arose over the desecration of veterans’ graves in the Forest Hills Cemetery in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Groundskeepers believed unruly children were stealing the small American flags that adorned the final resting places of our war dead. Well, those same groundskeepers eventually discovered that it wasn’t unruly kids but unruly squirrels who were committing the crime. Apparently, under cover of night, the creative critters took the flags up a nearby tree, tore them into pieces, and used them as foundation fodder for a giant nest.

Now, the Oak Hills Cemetery in Neenah, Wisconsin has the same problem. Caretakers there noticed the disappearance of about 25 flags from veterans’ graves around Memorial Day. Much like their kindred culprits, the Oak Hills squirrels have never been spotted stealing Old Glory. The only wildlife seen with an American flag: blackbirds. It seems they also prefer flag scraps for nesting material. So does this mean our fauna are anti-American?

Read the story at:
- Science Daily
- ABC News