Monday morning in the Tech Center
Searching for breakfast in front of Ritter
Tag Archives: squirrel
Hawk swoops in for the kill
Students walking near the Bell Tower this afternoon may have noticed an unusual scene not normally part of their everyday walk around campus.
Around 3:30 p.m., a hawk swooped down upon an unsuspecting squirrel in the middle of the grassy area near 13th Street and Beury Hall, making the much smaller creature its late lunch. Student onlookers gasped at the somewhat gruesome, somewhat mystifying display that unfolded, as many gathered in a safe perimeter around the majestic bird.
“I’ve never seen anything attack its prey like that,” said sophomore journalism major Maria Zankey. “I never expected to see it happen right smack-dab in the middle of campus. Plus I’m a vegetarian, so my gag reflexes were definitely tested.”
For over a half hour the hawk enjoyed its meal, undisturbed by spectators too frightened to come anywhere near the carnage. When the hawk was finished eating, it flew up to the tree above, sitting and waiting, perhaps for the next squirrel stupid enough to cross the grassy plaza.
The hawk lies in wait in a tree near the Bell Tower. (Kevin Cook/TTN)
Be sure to pick up the February 24th issue of The Temple News and check out our survey of campus wildlife in the Temple Living section.
Shoplifting squirrel evades Richie
Yes, Richie from Richie’s Deli and Pizza in front of Anderson Hall. Today around 5:30 p.m., Richie posted this on Facebook:
He said a shoplifting squirrel – who has become notorious among Richie’s regulars – steals a chocolate/chocolate chip muffin from the box on his window counter every day. The squirrel, Richie said, has been at large for the past two weeks.
“Ain’t it funny? Every day, every time I’m trying to be creative so [the squirrel] doesn’t steal, he finds a different way,” Richie said. “And he’s been stealing it at lunch time, not when it’s dead. He steals it when I’m the busiest.”
Richie said the squirrel generally strikes between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. and is adept at unwrapping both the plastic wrap the muffins come in and the extra layer Richie adds in the morning.
“People see him steal and no one tells me he’s stealing,” Richie said. “He climbs up [on the counter], goes under and around [then] he finds the chocolate muffin and takes it. Everyone just gets a kick out of it.”
OK, so Richie was likely kidding about the $100 reward, but, rest assured, he will take good care of whomever catches the sticky-handed rodent.
This photo is being used for identification purposes in the effort to find the tiny thief.
