Woman Realizes She Accidentally Helped Her Backyard Squirrel Get Drunk
She wasn't expecting that 😂
For the past year or so, Katy Morlok has been leaving out food for a chubby squirrel who lives in her yard. Her kids named him Lil Red.
Usually, Lil Red dines on seeds and dried corn. But the other day, mealtime was decidedly boozier.
Last week, Morlok decided to clean out her refrigerator. It was then that she discovered a bag of pears that had gone uneaten too long. Not wanting them to go to waste, Morlok set one outside for her pet pig, but he wasn’t interested.
Someone else, however, was. Lil Red came running over.
“He was so excited and worked and worked 'til he could get a good enough grip on the pear to bring the whole thing up the tree,” Morlok told The Dodo. “So, I put the rest of the old pears out for the squirrels.”
What Morlok failed to realize was that the old pears had fermented. Lil Red was eagerly catching a buzz on the alcoholic treat.
When he arrived later to his normal feeding spot, it was clear that Lil Red was more than a little tipsy:
“I had accidentally gotten the squirrel drunk!” Morlok said.
Though Lil Red could still run and climb, albeit a little unsteadily, Morlok was worried that he’d be vulnerable to predators if he continued getting inebriated. So, she picked up the rest of the old pears and threw them away.
“I was so delighted to see Lil Red back at the feeder the next morning for his ‘hangover breakfast,’” Morlok said. “He has been back to the feeder many times now and is perfectly fine.”
This isn’t the first time a squirrel has shown interest in alcohol; they are known to nibble on fermented fruit found in the wild. Still, Morlok won’t be supplying Lil Red with any more booze herself.
Looking back, however, Lil Red’s day of letting loose feels oddly relatable.
“I think it is about as 2020 as it gets!” Morlok said. “Even the squirrels need a break from this reality.”