Many years ago, a squirrel would keep plundering apples from my backyard. Often times, it couldn’t fit the apple under the gap in the fence, so I’d come home to see half-eaten apples stuck there.
Out of the kindness of my heart (and because the squirrels were adorable), I would slice up apples for them when I come back from school. It became a routine, and minutes after I come back from school, I’d have a hungry visitor waiting for me.
Eventually, I was able to “train” the squirrels by making them approach or even climb the screen door. I even managed to lure one inside the house.
When I left to university, my parents continued to leave food out for the squirrels at home. On the other hand, I acquainted myself to the many squirrels UCLA had to offer. I hoarded oyster crackers from the dining halls to feed the squirrels. During my time at UCLA, I even managed to hand-feed squirrels dozens of times!
This is a presentation I made for a class, “Squirrel Feeding 101.”
