Hangry beasts are ATTACKING visitors at Yosemite National Park and brazenly stealing lunches
The wild animals have long been a part of the iconic park, but recently, their aggression has amplified, parkgoers have said.
The rodents have been caught being sassy, violent and were spotted snatching snacks and meals on several occasions.
The picturesque scenes of the 1,169 square-mile gorgeous park are constantly admired by tourists and locals, but the squirrels are ruining the atmosphere with their wild antics.
An online user recently commented on his experience there as he shared his love for the land, but not for the creatures.
He wrote on X: 'Yosemite is my absolute favorite national park! Watch out for those squirrels though, some of the most vicious I have ever encountered!'
Anya Rose, another park visitor who went there for a trip in May, also warned her Facebook friends of the dangers Yosemite squirrels bring after one bit her.
'FRIENDLY REMINDER::: Don't let the cute, little chubby, 'friendly' squirrels fool you at @yosemitenps,' she wrote alongside several photos, including one of the animal close to her finger.
'This guy took a little nip at my finger. (Yes, went to the ER to make sure I was okay and didn't need a rabies shot - doc said I'll live and don't need anything).' Rose added. Daily Mail reached out to Rose for further comment.
A clip posted to X on June 27 showed a chubby squirrel running around as it appeared to be antagonized by a person.
Other than injuries from bites and scratches, squirrels are known to carry a litany of diseases, including rabies.
The animals can also transmit the bubonic plague, and in some rare cases, their urine and feces can pass on hantavirus - both of which are deadly.
While some people might have some chance encounters with evil squirrels, experts have warned that a lack of supervision in the park has really made these animals act out even more.
After Donald Trump started to downsize the federal government and its many agencies, including the National Park Service, less and less employees have been on site at parks like the Yosemite to deter people from feeding and bothering animals.
Because of the lack of authority and direction, antics have been at an all time high, park employees and regulars have warned.
Elisabeth Barton, a founding member of Echo Adventure Cooperative - a tour operator company based in Groveland - echoed this very concern in relation to the uptick in squirrel misbehavior.
'We were just talking about this,' Barton told SFGATE. 'We landed on all the factors you mentioned, and the team all agreed that wilderness literacy is down considerably over previous years.'
Speaking on behalf of her and fellow tour guides who are all too familiar with the area and animals that dwell there, Barton said there has been a 'decline in outreach and education' on how humans should treat animals.
'Your squirrel stories don't surprise me this year … people are showing up with zero clue about what's in front of them,' she added.
Mark Rose, the Sierra Nevada program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, has not only heard the nightmarish stories, but has experience them himself.
During a trip to Yosemite in June, Rose was confronted by aggressive squirrels while he tried to enjoy a meal.
'I had a similar experience where I was getting lunch with the group, and we kept having to shoo away the squirrels who were coming up to us,' Rose recalled.
Although he doesn't think the whole park has been plagued by the startling issue, Rose noticed that two specific spots - Vernal Fall and the Lower Yosemite Falls picnic area - are packed with the angry rodents.
'Without rangers there to supervise, there's a higher likelihood that those animals are going to become adapted to knowing they can get food from park visitors,' Rose stressed.
He noted that the opening of campgrounds in the park, which have still been forced to let people in despite staff shortages, are particularly at risk.
Because there is nobody truly keeping an eye on campers, food can easily get left behind, which in turn leaves a feast for not just squirrels, but larger animals like bears.
Beth Pratt, a regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation, fears this now common practice could spell trouble for wild animals - euthanasia.
She told the outlet she remembers simpler times when it was common practice to feed rodents, but still agrees fewer rangers on the ground can easily drive the trend out of control.
'I worry a lot about the potential impacts on wildlife and people with such a radical reduction in budget for the parks,' Pratt said.
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BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
The 'other' Michelin award travellers should know
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The Sun
9 hours ago
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Meet the army of snake hunters prowling Brit holiday island for 7ft serpents ‘leaving tourists too scared to go in sea'
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The Guardian
11 hours ago
- The Guardian
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'There were an estimated 4,000 that had destroyed the breeding populations of both Manx shearwaters and storm petrels. We're pretty sure we've eradicated them now and the bird populations are rising fast.' She leans over a small burrow under a lichen-crusted rock, and sniffs. 'Yes, that's storm petrel – they have a distinctive aroma.' Using her phone, she plays a series of cackles and squeaks down the hole. No response. I ask Vickie about the archipelago's endemic species. The Scilly bee? 'Hasn't been seen for many years.' She chuckles. 'What makes the islands special is often what we don't have. There are no magpies or buzzards, no foxes or grey squirrels. Those absences are important.' What they don't have in terms of fauna, they certainly make up for in flora. The lanes and paths of St Agnes are a ravishing spectacle: agapanthus and honeysuckle, huge spires of echium and smooth succulent aeoniums from the Canary Islands. In this frost-free environment, all kinds of subtropical plants thrive, making the islands quite unlike anywhere else in the British Isles. Dotted among all this fecundity are artists' studios, galleries, a pub and a community hall where there's a wonderful display of shipwreck souvenirs: East India Company musket parts, skeins of silk, porcelain and perfume. Back on St Mary's, we swim and spot a seal. But if we imagine our luck is changing, it's not. Next morning we are down on the quayside, bright and early for the boat to Bryher. 'It just left,' says the ticket seller. 'We did post the change last night. Very low tide. Had to leave 15 minutes early.' 'When is the next one?' 'There isn't one.' The islands, I should have known, are run by the tides. Be warned. Without any time to think, we jump on the Tresco boat. A fellow passenger offers sympathy. 'Last week we missed the boat from St Martin's and had to spend the night there. It was great.' Sign up to The Traveller Get travel inspiration, featured trips and local tips for your next break, as well as the latest deals from Guardian Holidays after newsletter promotion I relax. She is right. The best travel adventures come unplanned. The low tide means we land at Crow Point, the southern tip of Tresco. 'Last return boat at five!' shouts the boatman. We wander towards a belt of trees, the windbreak for Tresco Abbey Garden. The eccentric owner of the islands during the mid-19th century, Augustus Smith, was determined to make the ruins of a Benedictine abbey into the finest garden in Britain. Having planted a protective belt of Monterey pine, his gardeners introduced a bewildering array of specimen plants from South Africa, Latin America and Asia: dandelions that are three and a half metres tall, cabbage trees and stately palms. Just to complete the surreal aspect, Smith added red squirrels and golden pheasants, which now thrive. Now comes the moment, the adventure decision moment. I examine the map of the island and point to the north end: 'It looks wilder up there, and there's a sea cave marked.' We set off. Tresco has two settlements: New Grimsby and Old Grimsby, both clutches of attractive stone cottages decked with flowers. Beyond is a craggy coast that encloses a barren moorland dotted with bronze age cairns and long-abandoned forts. At the north-eastern tip we discover a cave high on the cliffside. Now the low tide is in our favour. We clamber inside, using our phone torches. A ramp of boulders takes us down into the bowels of the Earth, and to our surprise, where the water begins, there is a boat, with a paddle. Behind it the water glitters, echoing away into absolute darkness. We climb in and set off. Behind us and above, the white disc of the cave entrance disappears behind a rock wall. The sound of water is amplified. After about 50 metres we come to a shingle beach. 'How cool is that?' says Maddy. 'An underground beach.' We jump out and set off deeper into the cave, which gets narrower and finally ends. On a rock, someone has placed a playing card: the joker. Later that day, having made sure we do not miss the last boat back, we meet Rafe, who runs boat trips for the Star Castle Hotel. He takes pity on us for our lack of wildlife. 'Come out on my boat tomorrow morning and we'll see what we can find.' Rafe is as good as his word. We tour St Martin's then head out for the uninhabited Eastern Isles. Rafe points out kittiwakes and fulmars, but finally we round the rock called Innisvouls and suddenly there are seals everywhere, perched on rocks like altar stones from the bronze age. 'They lie down and the tide drops,' says Rafe. 'These are Atlantic greys and the males can be huge – up to 300kg.' Impressive as the seals are, the islands are better known for birds, regularly turning up rarities. While we are there, I later discover, more acute observers have spotted American cliff swallows that have drifted across the Atlantic, various unusual shearwater species and a south polar skua. Next day is our return to Penzance, and it's perfect whale-watching weather. People are poised with binoculars and scopes, sharing tales of awesome previous sightings: the leaping humpbacks, the wild feeding frenzies of tuna, and the wake-riding dolphins. Nothing shows up. I complain, just a little, about our lack of wildlife luck. Maddy is playing with a pair of terriers. 'The thing with Wilf was he was always content with whatever happened,' she says. I lounge back on the wooden bench on the port side, enjoying the wind, sun and sound of the sea. I'm channelling the spirit of Wilf. Be happy. Whatever. It's a lovely voyage anyway. And that's how I missed the sighting of the fin whale off the starboard side. The Star Castle Hotel on St Mary's has double rooms from £249 half-board off-season to £448 in summer; singles from £146 to £244. Woodstock Ark is a secluded cabin in Cornwall, handy for departure from Penzance South Pier (sleeps two from £133 a night). The Scillonian ferry runs March to early November from £75pp. Kayak hire on Bryher £45 for a half day, from Hut 62. For further wildlife information check out the
