The Big Squirrel Mystery in Grand Haven

Squirrels swimming in the Grand Haven channel and dead squirrels washing up on the shore. What? Is this the Twilight Zone? Cue the music and Rod Serling!

Many people were calling the DNR with bizarre stories of seeing these squirrels, either swimming or dead on the shore of the channel especially over Labor Day Weekend. Even folks who have been life-long Grand Haven residents were taken aback by this. What could be happening they thought. The end of civilization as we know it? Not exactly.

Michigan DNR Wildlife Biologist, John Niewoonder told Fox 17 "there are some historical records of it happening back in the 1800s and 1900s. People just saw these mass migrations of squirrels across roads, rivers and lakes. It happened pretty significantly throughout parts of the United States in 1968." The DNR does want people to know that this is not anything to be alarmed by.

"It's just one of these things that happens. We don't really have a great understanding of it other than most folks feel it's driven by a lack of food" Niewoonder stated. "Kind of a boom and bust situation with the food source for squirrels. They normally eat tree nuts, chestnuts, acorns, beech nuts and those tend to be up and down from year to year."

Okay, I feel better now, but, what should you do if you do see swimming squirrels? Nothing! Squirrels bite, and that's not fun. They will probably find a way out, but if not, well, that's just nature taking it's course.