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# Shell game was end game for squirrels
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/shell-game-was-end-game-for-squirrels/
- Published: 2005-08-06T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T07:33:26.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Pacific Palisades, #archive-import, Homeless

This past week, Q-line asked: “Do you feel the city was correct in setting out poison traps to reduce the number of local squirrels in the name of public health? Why or why not?”

Here are your responses: ✆ “I certainly do not agree with the city, setting up these traps for the poor ground squirrels. This practice endangers other wildlife, and is a cruel and unnecessary way of controlling the ground squirrel population. If the city is so concerned about the health of the citizens of the city, let’s first clean up the city. I am sickened and nauseated walking around the city and stepping over filthy vagrants on the sidewalk, and the human waste and vomit all over the sidewalk. The sights and smells are nauseating and breed more disease than the poor ground squirrels. These lice-ridden individuals use our public restrooms. Think what points of infection and disease spread they create.” ✆ “I do not feel that the city of Santa Monica is justified using any sort of poison to kill any animal. The reason being is that animals feel pain, and poison is a slow form of death. The only justification for taking any animal’s life in my mind is when the animal is in horrible pain and is a danger to itself and other animals around it, and only then with a painless form of euthanasia. In my mind, only the lowest form of human being is harsh with animals. It’s as simple as that.” ✆ “Of course the city was correct in setting out poison in the name of public health. It’s just silly to suggest otherwise. Squirrels that carry a disease could easily spread it to citizens, tourists, and the homeless at Palisades Park. Think of the potential of bioterrorism. Animal rights activists think it’s OK to kill the fleas, but not the squirrels. Aren’t fleas animals too? Boo-hoo. It seems to me that it’s only a matter of time before the swiss cheese bluffs collapse with all the rodent boroughs. Why did the trappings stop in June? Why doesn’t it continue year-round since the squirrels keep reproducing?” ✆ “We do have an infestation in Santa Monica. They’re filthy, they carry disease, and they cause a lot of damage and their dangerous. They should be eradicated. Traps or shoot them, whatever. I’m talking about the squirrels.” ✆ “I think it would be a better idea to set those traps for a few of our so-called City Council members because most of them are fleas.” ✆ “I am a member of PETA — which is People Eating Tasty Animals. What’s next, save the cockroaches? Squirrels are cute in limited numbers, like babies, but too many of them is a plague.” ✆ “Little kids play in the park, and people always walk their dogs, who can get in the poison feeders and die — cats, coyotes and falcons can eat the dead squirrels and die. Can’t the squirrels be trapped and relocated somewhere else, like Santa Monicans For Renters’ Rights fancy homes.” ✆ “I agree completely with the policy of setting out poisoned traps for the squirrels. I feel that the better good for the community is to have a safe environment where animals don’t get out of control. I think it’s idealistic to think you can take care of animals and humans, and humans have top priority in the environment. I think the policy is good and should continue.” ✆ “Not counting the professional hysterics of non-paying environmental groups, dealing with cigarette butts, the greatest challenge the City Council has confronted in years is the squirrel removal problem. If you don’t want to poison them, capture them, or relocate them, sterilization is an option. Hey, wait a minute I have a better idea. Why don’t we give each of the City Council members a flute and they can parade around Palisades Park playing a tune? And mark my words, every squirrel will come rushing out of the trees and follow them through the park to the Santa Monica Canyon and into the Pacific Ocean. I would even accept another regressive tax to pay for costumes and musical instruments to accomplish this. Just the image of our City Council members dancing and twirling as they play their flutes and leading thousands of squirrels Pied Piper-like along the park. It would be worth every cent. You know our squirrels work very hard to find and store their nuts. We Santa Monicans are very fortunate — our nuts are stored all in one place: City Hall.” ✆ “Public health is the last concern on the list of this city’s concerns. It is not all right that they went ahead and poisoned defenseless little animals yet the city idiots let the bums piss and defecate wherever they please. The whole squirrel problem is exaggerated. Let the cute little rodents live. If the squirrels have to go, then so do the bums. The bums have fleas, ticks, crabs, and worse and yet nobody is poisoning them. The bums are being fed while the squirrels are being murdered. Typical lunacy of Santa Monica officials. Get your priorities straight.” ✆ “The only humane way to make ground squirrels move on is to stop feeding them. i.e. pet food left outside, etc. There would never work in Palisades Park for two reasons. They have no where else to go and people will always feed the squirrels and the feral cats. They undermine the bluffs and may cause plague and the city is mandated by the county do something about them. I find it interesting that PETA recommends killing the fleas instead. Aren’t fleas animals too? Or does PETA only care about cute fury animals? Unfortunately, the city is up against the wall and must poison the ground squirrels.” ✆ “I think that something should be done about the squirrels. They are absolutely nothing but rodents with fury tails. They are dangerous, they are rabid and believe me, they’re in no danger at this point at least of becoming endangered species. I say keep them under control and I bet they can transfer diseases to other animals.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 6, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/080605.pdf?ref=smdp.com)