Ventura’s Squirrels

After reading “Sea, Sun, Sand and Squirrels” (June 2) about Ventura’s squirrels, I feel I have to add my little story.

There were no squirrels when I bought my house 35 years ago, but a few months ago one showed up. Because it was a friendly little critter, I started feeding it peanuts. The squirrel would come hopping across the yard when I acted like I was going to throw a nut and would even come close enough to take nuts off the toe of my shoe.

One day I decided to have more fun and feed her by hand. When she reached up to grab the peanut she accidentally clawed me, breaking the skin and causing some minor bleeding.

I thought it best to check with my doctor and ended up on rabies medication. To make sure it wasn’t infected, I trapped the squirrel and turned it over to animal control. I was under the impression that it would be kept under observation for a couple of weeks before being found to be contaminated or not, so I called to say I would like to have the squirrel back if it was found to be “clean.” They had sent her to be killed so they could check her brain for rabies.

My suggestion to the people of Ventura: Let nature take its course. This has worked for millions of years, and don’t think you can change it by being a nice guy or gal for one or two cute animals. I enjoyed her for a brief period, but ended up being the cause of her death.

I suggest that the people in Ventura quit encouraging squirrels, as cute and lovable as they may seem. If they are encouraged, they will become as big a problem as pigeons and cause medical problems to go with it.

JACK WALSMAN

Manhattan Beach

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This is an epidemic waiting to happen! Preschool classes come down with bags full of food. Kindly seniors doing their good deed for the week bring leftovers. The rodent population, mostly squirrels but some rats, is exploding.

There is usually enough food for them, but breeding and nesting room is getting scarce and they will have to start invading the adjacent beachfront properties. There is also the pier and a children’s play area that are maintained by a government agency. All of these are potential sources of liability lawsuits.

It is now a misdemeanor to feed those animals but this law is never enforced. Those of us in law (I am a lawyer) know that unenforced laws are not only a nullity but they encourage a contempt and disrespect for the law. I could not find one sign posted forbidding this practice.

BERNARD LEHRER

Ventura