As ranger numbers dwindle in Yosemite National Park, squirrels are boldly taking over picnic spots and hiking trails—leaving visitors fending off persistent rodents and raising new concerns for both wildlife and human health. The park has seen an uptick in aggressive squirrel behavior, particularly in popular tourist spots like Vernal Fall, since President Trump began downsizing the federal government. The National Park Service has lost almost a quarter of its employees since Trump took office in January. With fewer staff on hand to educate visitors, more tourists are feeding wildlife—sometimes intentionally, sometimes by accident—as they picnic and snack along trails, SFGate reports.
Incidents of squirrels approaching and even biting visitors are on the rise, with some people reporting more brazen attempts by rodents to grab food. The lack of ranger presence has also led to increased littering and more frequent, unchecked interactions between humans and animals. Wildlife experts and local guides say this is reversing years of progress in teaching visitors not to feed or leave food accessible to animals, including bears, which could end up being euthanized if they get used to finding food at campgrounds.
Allowing wildlife to become used to human food creates problems for both animals and people. Squirrels that rely on handouts may neglect their natural diets and become a nuisance, while the risk of disease transmission—such as rabies, hantavirus, and even bubonic plague—goes up when rodents are emboldened to approach humans.
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Beth Pratt, a regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation, says people feeding squirrels is now a new problem, but having fewer rangers to discourage interactions and educate people could lead to "everything from damaged meadows to dead bears." "I worry a lot about the potential impacts on wildlife and people with such a radical reduction in budget for the parks," Pratt says.
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