They’re a topic occasionally popular on Yik Yak. Twitter hashtags are dedicated to them. And Squirrel Appreciation Day is their time to go nuts.
It’s no question the small critters’ popularity on UF’s campus is growing. Facebook has a number of groups dedicated to UF squirrels, including “UF Squirrels are Crazy” and “UF Squirrels are Plotting My Demise.”
In one 8:30 a.m. UF physiology class, the squirrels were the most awake. Neha Misbah, a psychology sophomore, had a squirrel show up in her class last October. Her professor was standing at the podium when he heard noise underneath it.
“The squirrel runs out, and it starts kind of like circling around the front of the classroom for a little bit,” she said.
Students were screaming, said the 19-year-old. One tried to catch the squirrel and eventually chased it out the door.
Bob McCleery, assistant professor of wildlife ecology and conservation, has personal experience evacuating the furry friends from class, but he recommends that anyone else call pest control.
It’s not the education that draws squirrels to campus — it’s the big oak trees with their high-arching branches, McCleery said.
“I know why squirrels like campuses,” he said. “I’m not sure why students like squirrels.”
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[A version of this story ran on page 4 on 1/21/2015 under the headline “<\/em><\/span>Go nuts for squirrels today<\/span>"]<\/em><\/p>
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