The Siberian ground squirrel is a cheek squirrel in the squirrel family (Sciuridae). It is native to Siberia and East Asia.
In the Netherlands, they live in Tilburg, in the Wandelbos. But how do they end up in Tilburg? It has to do with the Tilburgs Natuur Dierenpark, which sat on Bredaseweg from 1932. In 1973, just before the zoo closed its doors, a crate containing the Siberian squirrels fell off a wagon. The critters escaped and fled into the Oude Warande. Another attempt was made to catch the squirrels, but in vain.
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Another variation of the story about the alien squirrels goes like this: after the zoo closed, all the animals present were sold. But because the Siberian ground squirrels like to be underground, as the name suggests, they were accidentally overlooked and forgotten. Once the zoo disappeared, the squirrels re-emerged and managed to survive just fine on their own in our forests.
They can live for about seven years and have about three to six young every year. They live on nuts, seeds, buds, berries, grains and insects. Sometimes they even eat eggs and young birds! The non-native squirrels are only active during the day. In winter, they sit in their burrows, between tree roots. In spring, they all emerge again. They can dig well, but they also climb well! They are spotted up to the highest treetops.
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