'Never thought we'd have to say this.' NYSDEC issues warning after man paints squirrels
Don't paint the squirrels.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation on Monday issued a warning, asking people not to paint wildlife after a Putnam County man trapped, painted and released numerous squirrels near his Patterson home.
"Never thought we'd have to say this but DON'T PAINT SQUIRRELS!" DEC posted on social media.
According to DEC, the department's conservation police officers had suspected that a man on parole was painting squirrels and releasing them into a park. Working with the Putnam County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) led them to a surveillance operation on Dec. 28, where they spotted a bright red squirrel cross the road in Patterson, less than a block from the suspect's home.
When DEC officers and SPCA detectives interviewed the man in mid-January, he admitted he trapped and painted squirrels so he could keep track of which squirrels returned to his yard, and caused his dog to bark.
The man, whose name was not released, was ticketed on violations "related to the trapping, transporting and liberating of wildlife," according to the DEC. SPCA officials also charged him for mistreatment of animals.
Never thought we'd have to say this but DON'T PAINT SQUIRRELS! 🧵⤵️ pic.twitter.com/UGGtV3Ku2g
— New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (@NYSDEC) February 5, 2024
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: NYSDEC issues warning after man paints squirrels in New York
