Huckleberries Online

Spokane Parks Detonate Squirrels

Posted by DFO

April 13, 2009 1:33 p.m. • 43 comments

Item: Spokane parks detonating squirrels/AP

More Info: Spokane is having a problem with too many ground squirrels at Finch Arboretum. So the Parks and Recreation department is using a special machine to detonate some of the 100 to 150 rodents that are tearing up the grounds. The machine is called the Rodenator Pro. It pumps propane and oxygen into the tunnels of squirrels, then sends an electric spark that causes an explosion. The shock waves kill the squirrels and collapse their tunnels. The parks department says the Rodenator is a humane way to kill the squirrels.

YouTube: How Rodenator Pro works

Question: What do you think of the plan by the Spokane parks department to kill squirrels in a humane way by detonating them?

43 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

toadman on April 13 at 1:47 p.m.
This method sounds like something from a movie I remember….just replace the word “Gopher” with “Squirrel.”

“License to kill gophers by the government of the United Nations. Man, free to kill gophers at will. To kill, you must know your enemy, and in this case my enemy is a varmint. And a varmint will never quit - ever. They’re like the Viet Cong - Varmint Cong. So you have to fall back on superior intelligence and superior firepower. And that’s all she wrote.”

..and.. of course.. what the Spokane Parks Department is probably thinking they’ll need to do next:

“I have to laugh, because I’ve outsmarted even myself. My enemy, my foe, is an animal. In order to conquer the animal, I have to learn to think like an animal. And, whenever possible, to look like one. I’ve gotta get inside this guy’s pelt and crawl around for a few days. ”

Both quotes, Carl Spackler (Bill Murray), Caddyshack.
jreighley on April 13 at 1:48 p.m.
Sounds like a pretty good plan up until they decided to tell everyone about it… Now the park is going to be overflowing with Mythbuster’s fans and PETA protesters. Should be a really good show.
Joker on April 13 at 1:52 p.m.
Toad,

That made my day. Good one.
Cabbage Boy on April 13 at 2:05 p.m.
“Now the park is going to be overflowing with Mythbuster’s fans and PETA protesters.”

Perhaps it is a trap. Or a desperate attempt at attracting tourists.
JeanieSpokane on April 13 at 2:13 p.m.
I think the AP needs to change the title. I spewed coffee all over my keyboard. They are going to *detonate* squirrels? And exactly how - ask the little squirrel to please swallow this grenade? Have them hold the stick of dynamite and lie to them that it’s a birthday candle? What about the trauma for all the little kids imagining Rocky blowing up to smithereens right before their eyes? Or - you’re sitting quietly on your front porch swing, enjoying the spring blossoms and the gentle breeze, when you hear a muffled gun shot and your mind immediately goes black (or blood red) with the memory of little squirrels running across your cable line from tree to tree. Never more.
Howard_Martinson on April 13 at 2:20 p.m.
Was this press release dated February 30 or April 1 by any chance?
Dennis on April 13 at 2:27 p.m.
Squrrel Flambeau???????
marmitetoasty on April 13 at 2:27 p.m.
What will they do? set landmines? is detonate really the right word lol…..

Cant they just gather them all up and let them loose somewhere else?

x
Liz on April 13 at 2:28 p.m.
My husband suggested that someone sue park and rec because the civil rights of the squirrels were violated. They weren’t given a fair trial…
Cabbage Boy on April 13 at 2:46 p.m.
“Cant they just gather them all up and let them loose somewhere else?”

Add a little cajun spice…. bake to a crisp….
marmitetoasty on April 13 at 2:52 p.m.
LMRSSO@Cabbage Boy…… dam, thats where we get the crisps from……..

x
Charlie on April 13 at 2:58 p.m.
How about after flame broiling the squirrels, we dynamite some ducks? Duck bits in an orange sauce go well with squirrel.
toadman on April 13 at 3:13 p.m.
“Now the park is going to be overflowing with Mythbuster’s fans and PETA protesters.”

My GOD that sounds entertaining. Naked protesters and geeks who love explosions. I’m TOTALLY not gonna miss that show, all punctuated by ACTUAL explosions containing bits of rodent! Awesome. What will Spokane do next? Hire the Homeless to Cage fight each other?

;-)
BethB on April 13 at 3:39 p.m.
Okay, I’m just laughing really hard here… you guys are a riot! Maybe we should hire all of you to tell jokes to the squirrels, and then they can laugh themselves into oblivion! That would be a kinder way to go, anyway….
andrewz on April 13 at 3:45 p.m.
For all those reminded of “Caddyshack,” radiohead Dan Mitchinson dug up a couple YouTube clips for our enjoyment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv87T1CQF8E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krVXRCcr2M4&feature=related
joebu on April 13 at 3:58 p.m.
A city in Wyoming had a similar problem with prairie dogs, and they used a slightly more humane tool — a giant vacuum that at least sucked them up and got them out of the way for future disposal. Forgot whether they were “disposed of” in a private location or really relocated. It made a cool noise too. Although the current method has its Caddyshack appeal and stuff that blows up — who doesn’t love that?
toadman on April 13 at 4:12 p.m.
“…a giant vacuum that at least sucked them up and got them out of the way for future disposal.”

Interesting. Shades of “Curse of the Were-Rabbit” now (it’s another movie, look it up).

I think if Spokane keeps up with the inhumane detonation of various rotentia, they’re gonna have a bigger problem….

ZOMBIE RODENTS!!!
pinkflaminggos on April 13 at 5:03 p.m.
Jeesh, guys. I don’t want to break up the party, but it’s really not funny. It seems like most of you are not too happy about what the parks dept. is doing, but I think a squirrel flambe and ducks in orange sauce isn’t that funny.
UvulaCrusher on April 13 at 5:10 p.m.
Humane to whom?

At the risk of NOT looking like some of the gun and ammunition zealots in fear of Obama…………and at the risk of NOT being confused with someone from Northern Idaho that I’d have to pry their gun from their cold dead fingers………….

I’ll point out that the squirrels probably wouldn’t view it as ‘humane’, just as if this story were about something more cute and cuddly and thought of w/ say higher regard………oh, I don’t know………koalas, kangaroos…lots of Aussie animals……but not the crock’s as they fail the cute ‘n cuddley factor……..but if it were a story about them………….then there WOULD be people getting upset……..they’d point out, we sort of encroached on them……….

Humans encroach on a lot of animals……..it’s ok to eradicate them….nice warm and fuzzy word for killing……..because they tear up the lawn………ok…………

Maybe everyone can take the kids to the park, hand them some Cheesy Puffs and watch Chip ‘n Dale meet their maker………..it seems simpler to just arm the kids and have them take aim……………..
Dennis on April 13 at 5:23 p.m.
Cabbage Boy on April 13 at 2:05 p.m.

<<“Now the park is going to be overflowing with Mythbuster’s fans and PETA protesters.”
Perhaps it is a trap. Or a desperate attempt at attracting tourists.>>

_________________

It’s working CB,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,See Above!!!

;-)
GaryIngram on April 13 at 8:57 p.m.
Would this work for LCDC?
skinem on April 15 at 8:12 a.m.
This IS funny…the Rodenator sounds made up…

I’d rather be rid of these things that have old folks hurting themselves because of them.

Ground squirrels make for great target practice.

Ground squirrels AND PETA people? What an opportunity for a two-fer!

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.