The city of Minot, North Dakota, is at war with rodents.
As The Associated Press reports, Minot has been dealing with an overwhelmingly increasing amount of Richardson’s ground squirrels. Officials estimate that the number of ground squirrels in the city is close to or even possibly exceeds its population of 50,000 people.
“Gosh, there’s got to be tens of thousands of them in the area,” says resident and pest control company operator Joshua Herman.
“I don’t see the population ever going to zero,” adds Minot Street Department Superintendent Kevin Braaten. “I mean, it’s almost impossible by the numbers that we have.”
The rodent intruders are accused of damaging property, harboring disease and creating tripping hazards by digging holes. They do, however, posses one quality that have people on team squirrel: cuteness.
“They get that cute association, and they are, you know, adorable,” says Herman. “But they’re a vermin and a pest and dangerous when they are allowed to proliferate.”
Yeah, but c’mon, they’re just little guys!