After three years of diligently befriending East Lansing’s squirrel community, I feel as though I’ve earned the right to rank them. Here are the four best squirrel groups on campus.
4. Clinical Cuties
These two cuties are usually timid when I approach them, but will occasionally act with 20 seconds of insane courage and allow me to feed them from a distance. Normally, they’ll jump tree-to-tree in front of the life sciences buildings.
3. Beaumont Tower Beauties
One of my first encounters with the wildlife on campus was the squirrels that hang around the Beaumont Tower courtyard. A fan favorite is this black squirrel with an ombred white tail. Trendy, am I right?
2. Sny-Phi’s Iconic Trio
There’s a trio of squirrels that congregate in the Mason-Abbot/Snyder-Phillips courtyard. They’re fairly socialized and can often be spotted scavenging through the trash cans next to the CATA bus stop — and through my heart. You’ll know it’s them if one of the squirrels tries to pull down on your hand or phone. Name a more iconic trio — I’ll wait.
1. Wells Hall Wonders: Chip and Nala
These two smarties have taken residency in the Wells Hall courtyard woods, an ideal location, considering there’s a constant stream of people feeding ducks on the Red Cedar. They’ll come bounding up if you signal them with kissing sounds. Sometimes when I’m feeding them, I’ve noticed Chip aggressing with Nala, as if he’s somehow famished, so we’ve been working on his table manners. Chip is an aggressive lover as well — when he wants attention, he will make his presence known.
Stay tuned for more squirrel updates.
— XOXO, Gossip Squirrel