The City of Berkeley is preparing to live capture, and then exterminate (in a gas chamber) the ground squirrels which have become over abundant at Cesar Chavez Park at the Berkeley Marina. They are doing this at the demand of the Bay Water Quality Control Board, out of a fear that the squirrels will dig below the clay cap and into the highly polluted garbage beneath, and then in a rain that contaminants will run into the bay.
We accept the need to protect the bay and reduce the number of ground squirrels at Cesar Chavez Park. We are told that "wildlife cannot be relocated by State law." This we absolutely do not accept. We've seen TV reportage of drugged bears and pumas being put into vans to be relocated. Clearly there is a way around this law. Surely this can be done for ground squirrels.
Where to? Several of us have found people with acreage in northern California who will accept one or two dozen squirrels each. We will find more. We will raise money for the relocation. Please take this simple, sane solution.
