US EditionGround squirrels are taking over a North Dakota city and officials are not amused
MINOT, NORTH DAKOTA, JUL 16 – Minot faces an ongoing battle with Richardson's ground squirrels, with pest control killing up to 5,000 annually amid a population possibly exceeding the city's 50,000 residents.
- Earlier this month, Minot, North Dakota faced an escalating invasion of Richardson’s ground squirrels, damaging property and increasing in population, officials say.
- Greg Gullickson, outreach biologist, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, notes that Richardson’s ground squirrels have fewer grassland habitats and favor urban areas, adding that females produce about six offspring annually and that these animals have lived on the prairie for centuries.
- The base trapped over 800 `dak-rats` earlier this month, and Joshua Herman kills 3,500 to 5,000 squirrels yearly, demonstrating control efforts' scale.
- Kevin Braaten warned they don’t expect the population ever to reach zero, indicating persistent property damage and ongoing challenges.
- Despite efforts, some residents find the animals cute and have sabotaged or stolen traps, Minot city officials acknowledge, complicating future control measures.
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They look harmless, but the inhabitants of a small town in the US state of North Dakota make life difficult: the city speaks of a hopeless fight against a squirrel plague.
Associated Press News+34 Reposted by 34 other sources
Ground squirrels are taking over a North Dakota city and officials are not amused
Ground squirrels have proliferated in Minot, North Dakota's fourth-largest city. They've burrowed everywhere from vacant lots to school grounds, residential areas and the downtown area.
·United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources40
Leaning Left9Leaning Right3Center25Last UpdatedBias Distribution68% Center
Bias Distribution
- 68% of the sources are Center
68% Center
L 24%
C 68%
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