A recent pest control push left the University of Saskatchewan campus dotted with dead ground squirrels. “There has been a lot of bodies on campus,” Angela Burant said. "It's sad to see all of their little bodies all over, straight across campus.” The company tasked with controlling the ground squirrels previously told CTV News it was using bait made with chlorophacinone, a poison commonly used to kill rodents. Udid Bhandey, another student CTV News spoke with, said he was troubled by the use of poison. "(If) the university is poisoning these rodents, it is disturbing," Bhandey said. "There should be another way," he said, while expressing concern for other animals. Another person who emailed CTV News with photos of the dead ground squirrels over the weekend called it a "horrible discovery." “What we found to our greatest disgust instead was many rotting, bloated corpses," the email said. OTHER CULLING OPTION SUGGESTED Living Sky Wildlife Rehabilitation executive director Jan Shadick said she wishes the university had handled the ground squirrel issue differently. “That poison is not only going to poison the target species but there are all kinds of secondary poisonings that happen there,” Shadick said. “Ground squirrels live in Saskatchewan and are food for so many different animals.” According to Shadick the university attracts all sorts of wildlife to its campus. She said her rehab centre has taken several ground squirrels from the university before, which were killed by snap traps and used as food for other animals. “They have the ability to provide a humane and safe culling experience for the ground squirrels.” PESTS CONTROLLED FOR SAFETY: UNIVERSITY In an emailed statement, the University of Saskatchewan called its pest control program "humane" and said it has been running for many years. "The process of controlling pest populations is a common practice at the university and throughout the city because they can pose a number of safety issues as well as damage property," the statement said. The university said the program does not pose a threat to humans, domestic pets, or other wildlife. Due to increased foot traffic during the summer months, the university said the program helps reduce the risk of injury due to the damage caused by the ground squirrels. "Grounds crews regularly monitor and actively retrieve any deceased pests on campus grounds," the statement said.
