A squirrel in Putnam County, New York, who was painted red.Photo:Courtesy of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Courtesy of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Squirrels in New York are safer now that a “series of squirrel painting incidents” in the state are resolved.
According to a Februarypress releasefrom the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), which the agency alsoshared on Facebook, officials started noticing bright red squirrels in Putnam County in late 2023.
Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOS) from the New York State DEC and Putnam County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals detectives worked together to solve the case of the painted squirrels. By Dec. 23, officials had a suspect, per the release.
The agency added that on Dec. 28, “ECOs conducted surveillance in the area and observed a bright red squirrel crossing the street less than a block away from the subject’s residence.”
A squirrel in Putnam County, New York, who was painted red.Courtesy of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
As a result of this admission, ECOs ticketed the man for “violations related to the trapping, transporting, and liberating of wildlife,” the New York State DEC shared in its release, adding that the Putnam County SPCA also charged the man for mistreatment of animals.
The New York State DEC quipped on Facebook that the self-described squirrel painter got caught “red-handed.”
In October 2023, the Missouri Dept. of Conservation (MDC) shared that it responded to an odd report —a deer with a collar around its neck and the word “pet” painted on its body.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Officeshared a photo of the creatureon Facebook. It said that officers went down to De Soto, a rural city in Missouri, to investigate the image of the deer, which had gone viral online.
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In the photo, the deer looks back at the camera as it grazes on grass. A multi-colored collar can be seen around the animal’s neck, and the word “pet” appears in all capital letters on the deer’s body.
source: people.com
