A curious critter made its way onto a Vancouver bus this week in search of food -- but it might have been dining for two (or more).
A video of a fluffy-tailed, black squirrel surfaced on social media Wednesday (May 19) night that shows a bold rodent boarding a Vancouver bus.
Redditor NeonChurch shared the video to the platform and added in a comment that the tiny animal "got off the bus safely and we were parked in Stanley Park so I'm sure they're doing okay."
Ariane Comeau, Conservation Projects Manager at the Stanley Park Ecology Society, told Vancouver Is Awesome that it is possible that squirrels are more adventurous during breeding season to find food for their young.
"The nipples of the squirrel are visible in the video, so this would be a mother squirrel! She probably has a den nearby, and with her good sense of smell, she must have smelled whatever was on the floor of the bus," she explained.
The female is also an Eastern grey squirrel, added Corneau. They can be grey or black and are not native to our region.
Have a look at the video of the squirrel on the bus.
B.C. squirrels
There are four types of tree squirrels in British Columbia and they feed on seeds, nuts, acorns, tree buds, berries, leaves and twigs.
According to the BC SPCA, red squirrels and Douglas squirrels are native to the province while grey squirrels are native to eastern parts of Canada and the United States.
While rarely spotted, the province is also home to the northern flying squirrel. These animals are nocturnal and glide rather than fly: "Skin flaps between their front and back legs create “wings” and give them the ability to jump great distances."
Grey squirrels are the most common squirrel in B.C.’s biggest cities and are larger than native squirrels.
