In a battle between tree-huggers and animal-lovers, an anonymous squirrel that was held hostage in a live trap near Paine Hall was released yesterday from its cage.
Dr. Gary D. Alpert, a scientist at the Department of Environmental Health and Safety for Harvard University, said the squirrel was trapped to prevent it from eating the bark of a tree.
"The squirrels were killing the tree, so [building managers] attempted to trap the squirrel that was killing it," he said.
An unnamed caller from the Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library yesterday alerted the department of the trap's existence, Alpert said. The cage was then immediately removed and replaced with an alternative barrier.
"We want to achieve this goal [of protecting the trees] by banding the trees with barriers and not using live traps," said Alpert.
Jim C. Yang, a student at New York University who was feeding squirrels in Harvard Yard this afternoon, defended the rights of the squirrel and supported the removal of the traps.
"They don't harm anybody," he said.
But Meredith F. Alexander '96, a self-proclaimed squirrel-hater, said the controversy was "nutty."
The squirrel was not available for comment yesterday afternoon.
Read more in News
Music for the MassesRecommended Articles
-
The Lesson of the SquirrelIn light of all the discussion of campus divisions on racial, ethnic and various other lines, I would like to
-
Are Squirrels a First-Year's Friend? Or Are They Only Glorified Rats?There's a war being waged in Harvard Yard. It's students against nature from Lamont to Canaday, and the enemy--16 to
-
Squirrel Attacks Alarm OfficialsTwo separate incidents of squirrel attacks on persons in the Yard yesterday afternoon have forced University Health officials to consider
-
DepartedThere were, but a few short weeks ago, four squirrels living in the Yard. Now there are three. The passing
-
Butts to the SquirrelsNext to John Harvard, nature's greatest heritage to the Yard is the squirrel. Everyone loves the healthy, frolicking animals except
-
More to Squirrels at Harvard?
