This autumn has brought an increasing amount of tiny obstacles to be seen scattered across the road. These obstacles are more commonly known as squirrels. The bodies of these miniscule creatures can be seen crushed everywhere, even the WAHS parking lot.

Recently, after practice, a certain student was driving and decided not to slow down when going over the speed bump. Instead they flew over it, mindlessly crushing a crossing squirrel’s head in their wake. The driver kept going, but not the squirrel. The innocent creature was left for dead, as it hopped around hopelessly for it’s last few seconds on earth.

Several cross country girls who were within the vicinity screamed as they witnessed the entire tragic affair, including the squirrel’s eyeball popping out. When the thirty seconds of misery were over, the squirrel collapsed on the pavement, and the flowing traffic of cars attempted to dodge its corpse. Luckily, Coach Bain hastily came to the rescue.

With a pair of gloves and a brave soul, he carried the dead squirrel and its dangling eyeball to the woods. Even though the body was off the road, a passer-by could still see the trail of blood it left behind. This was a horrible end to an innocent squirrel that easily could’ve been avoided, but this was just one case of millions of others that have perished this fall in the area.

What is the cause of the rapidly growing number of squirrel roadkill sightings lately? Several WAHS students were asked their opinion and came up with replies such as, “Squirrels are just getting dumber” and “I think it’s a sign of a harsh and cold winter ahead.” Although these are valid ideas, one student’s response really stuck out. “The squirrel population has grown, making it harder to find acorns” said the student. Recent studies and research can back up this reply. According to biologists, the population of squirrels has in fact boomed this season due to various natural forces. there has been a shortage of food supply in response. Squirrels, in order to survive, are forced to stray beyond their normal boundaries and travel farther just to find a single acorn. Traveling farther means crossing more and more roads to find what they need. This explains the amount of dead squirrels squashed on the road and why so many of them can be seen crossing.