Squirrels found sick, dead after 'toxic substance' left in Richmond, B.C., park
A number of squirrels have been reported sick or dead this month after a "toxic substance" was left in a park in Richmond, B.C., according to police.
Richmond resident Stephanie Payne says two of her friends were out for a walk in South Arm Park last Wednesday, when they came across multiple squirrels either deceased or in grave condition.
"They saw five squirrels that were pretty much almost dead," she said
One of the women immediately reported the distressed squirrels to the BC SPCA and the City of Richmond, which prompted firefighters and city staff to cordon off parts of the area for public safety.
Firefighters scoured the park and discovered a toxic chemical around some of the trees. The compound, known as 1-octanethiol, can cause headaches and vomiting in humans. If handled incorrectly, it can be deadly.
“We want to know who put it there and why it was put there,” says Cpl. Adriana O’Malley, spokesperson for Richmond RCMP.
Police confirm the toxic material has since been safely removed by an environment clean-up crew and the park is fully reopened.
As investigators search for a motive, Payne has her own suspicion of why a toxic substance was dumped in the park. She has frequented the greenspace for the past five years and in that time, she says the squirrel population has grown significantly. Payne believes someone must be fed up with the critters.
“There was so many," she said. "Now, I walk the park and am like why am I not seeing any squirrels? It’s just really odd.”
Payne’s friends have put up posters on trees throughout the park, warning pet owners and people with young children about the harmful chemicals. They’ve also spread the word in community groups online. Richmond RCMP is urging park users to be vigilant.
“If you’re going to the park and you start to see wildlife that appears sick or you’re finding deceased wildlife, make sure you contact the city of Richmond of police,” says Cpl. O’Malley.
Mounties says the chemical has not been found in any other parks so far, and there have not been any reports of people or family pets falling ill.
Anyone who has information on the incident, or who witnesses someone dumping substances at the base of trees in Richmond, is asked to call the RCMP at 604-278-1212. People who want to remain anonymous can instead call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
Majority of Canadians believe in life after death: Angus Reid survey
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.
MyPillow, owned by U.S. election denier Mike Lindell, formally evicted from Minnesota warehouse
A court ordered the eviction Wednesday of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used.