Parched Squirrel Finishes Tourist’s Bottle of Water

Summer has just begun and we all can expect tanlines and parched throats for the next few months. However, we brave it all in the face of vacations and outings, and the fact that for a lot of students, they won’t have to get back to school until September.

In the Grand Canyon, visitors need to ready their water bottles because it’s been forcas that temperatures would reach up to 40 degrees Celsius this summer. Even the local wildlife seem to be suffering from the summer heat, as one squirrel actually dared to approach a tourist and ‘ask’ for some water.

‘Asking’ For a Drink

An adorable video has recently been making its rounds it social media, where it shows a squirrel gulping down some water straight from the bottle while using his paws to latch on to it. The adorable little creature was even able to finish off the whole thing. The person taking the video was a tourist named Paul Camps. The Gloucester native was visiting Grand Canyon National Park when this cute little incident happened.

Squirrels usually avoid humans, but when they are accustomed to them, they usually aren’t as skittish

Camps was admiring the views that the Park has to offer when he noticed the little animal behaving strangely. He tried to put it out of his mind, but the squirrel didn’t leave him alone, following him wherever he went, even lifting his little arms up, seemingly trying to communicate that he wanted to be picked up. He thought it was a perfect opportunity to take a picture, so he passed the water bottle he was holding in his hand to his girlfriend so that he could take his phone out. When he had his phone ready, he then realized that the little animal was lifting his arms towards Camps’ girlfriend instead.

Because of this, the couple was able to deduce that it was actually asking for the bottle of water all along. Camps then opened the bottle and had the small creature drink to its little heart’s content.

Camps added that needless to say, they did not drink from the same bottle afterwards

As expected, a vast majority of the comments online are going gaga over the cuteness of the whole scene. A lot are actually even praising Camps for having the heart to share his water with a little animal. However, something has also been going around the comments section lately, and it’s disbelief at how the Grand Canyon National Park Services advises tourists to stay at least 50 feet, or 15 meters, away from any wildlife when inside the park – even adorable little squirrels.

Legitimate Concerns

Despite some comments saying that the little thing could barely harm a human many times its size, there have been reports of squirrels that have attacked humans. Bites and scratches are not uncommon when humans approach squirrels without thought, as they might make the animals feel threatened. Though most squirrels would usually scamper away when faced with a human it feels threatened of, it is not always the case.

There have even been cases when squirrels directly attack a human when he was unaware that the animal was even there

There are also several diseases that you can contract from being in close contact with a squirrel. Leptospirosis and rabies often come to mind, as both these diseases can possibly lead to death when not treated in a timely and effective manner. The most notorious disease that you can contact from these cute little creatures actually don’t come from the squirrels themselves.

Lyme disease is something you can contract when the ticks that some squirrels carry, bite you. The symptoms include nerve pain, stiffness, and even inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Even if one does survive after being treated, the duration of the disease is not comfortable at all, as they are extremely painful when it hits you.

The aforementioned regulation that Grand Canyon National Park Services implemented was simply a safety precaution for tourists, as squirrels are also not the only animals that make the Grand Canyon their home. Bats, coyote, and even cougars have been seen inside the vast area, and it would do tourists well to remember to keep themselves safe while taking in the sights and sounds that the landmark has to offer.