Dead ground squirrels found at 'gopher hill' sparks city probe
City investigating after several rodents were left in a garbage can, wrapped in an old umbrella
WARNING: graphic image at the bottom of this story
Who killed the Richardson's ground squirrels on gopher hill?
It's a question the city is trying to answer after receiving a complaint that some of the animals were killed and left in a garbage can at a nearby bus stop.
Sam Tapper said the small park on the southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and Macleod Trail S.E. got the nickname gopher hill because it's often covered in dozens of the rodents — which are often misnamed gophers.
On Monday, however, she noticed several of them wrapped in an umbrella and dumped in a garbage can.
"It just doesn't make sense, it's like going to the zoo and I love it, I love going to the zoo," she said of the small greenspace.
Not the work of professionals
Animal and bylaw services is investigating the incident. The city said it doesn't own the property and isn't responsible for killing them.
Exterminator Michael Zborowsky said it doesn't look like the work of professionals.
He said you'd see bait, or signs that an extermination was under way, and that most companies would remove the rodents from the area, rather than dumping them in city trash cans.
After looking at photos of the dead rodents, he said it looked like one had been hit in the head, possibly with a slingshot or pellet gun.
