Santa Monica Is A Paradise For Squirrels — And Experts Say We're To Blame

SANTA MONICA, CA — Spring is here and so is a new population of young ground squirrels at Palisades Park — many of them.

As many as 100 of the furry critters have made their presence known to visitors of the popular park. But the best thing people can do is ignore them — that means not feeding them or chasing them, city officials say.

In reports from LAist and the Los Angeles Times, Santa Monica residents have reported that the park has seemingly been overrun by squirrels.

And Marcia Rybak of Coast and Canyon Wildlife Rehabilitation told LAist that humans are to blame.

“The trouble Santa Monica has, and will always have, with those ground squirrels on the bluffs is the ground squirrels are well established and very happy there,” she said in an email. “The population will remain stable based on the food supply. If people don't feed them then they will only breed as much as the land will carry.”