Cheetos-obsessed squirrel hangs around playground waiting for snacks
A squirrel at a playground in Washington state has reportedly become addicted to Goldfish crackers and Cheetos — and she gets downright cheesed off when she doesn’t get any.
Kevin, who is actually a female squirrel, has been frequenting Discovery Park in Seattle and even cozying up to any parkgoers in the hopes of obtaining a cheesy snack.
“She’ll go through zippers, tear through backpacks, strollers, climb into the stroller… very dexterous,” one witness claimed to Q13 Fox.
Many residents consider Kevin a nuisance, but one grandmother who frequents the park with her grandkids said Kevin is “not aggressive.”
“I battle with it; You know, I don’t think it’s a good idea to feed wildlife. But it’s fun to have the opportunity to teach my grandchildren about animals and how to respect them,” the woman added, as Kevin climbed her leg and took a cheese puff directly from a bag she was holding.
Other parents and guardians, meanwhile, have voiced their disagreement.
“It’s a little annoying for parents,” said one mom who spoke to KUOW, adding that the squirrel gave her 4-year-old son nightmares. “My son is apprehensive about coming to the park — ‘Mom, I don’t want to see the squirrel. We shouldn’t bring snacks to the park.’”
Another woman said she knew she shouldn’t be giving Kevin food but just couldn’t resist. And in one instance, the woman said Kevin ignored an apple slice and waited until she threw a Goldfish cracker instead.
Animal control officials had declined to take action at Discovery Park as of mid-May, but a couple of parkgoers who were supervising children at Discovery Park said the community needs to work out a solution regarding Kevin.
“This is Kevin’s home… We need to be smarter about it than [just] shoo Kevin away.”
