The Black Squirrels of Stanley Park

In 1989, I went to Vancouver, BC, Canada for the first time. I was
surprized to see, for the first time in my life, black squirrels. In
the US, I had only seen them in grey or red, never black. These were
pure black all over, with short plump bodies, & short bushy tails.
They were all over Stanley Park. And they were very familiar with
people. I saw one run up a woman's leg, all the way to her chest, to
receive a peanut from her hand.

I returned this Summer (2005) to find them all gone. I wander about
Stanley Park for three hours & didn't see any. I saw only three
squirrels, but these were grey with white bellies, with smaller &
thinner bodies and long thin tails. The black squirrels, that had
facinated me years before, are gone.

I did see one black squirrel at the University of British Columbia, but
this one had a longer & less bushy tail.

How did an entire species disappear in 11 years? And nothing is
mentioned about it in any literature or webisite on Vancouver. How
could no one else notice this?

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: The Black Squirrels of Stanley Park
    ... >surprized to see, for the first time in my life, black squirrels. ... >pure black all over, with short plump bodies, & short bushy tails. ... >mentioned about it in any literature or webisite on Vancouver. ...
    (soc.culture.canada)
  • Re: The Black Squirrels of Stanley Park
    ... > surprized to see, for the first time in my life, black squirrels. ... > the US, I had only seen them in grey or red, never black. ... > mentioned about it in any literature or webisite on Vancouver. ...
    (soc.culture.canada)
  • The Black Squirrels of Stanley Park
    ... In 1989, I went to Vancouver, BC, Canada for the first time. ... surprized to see, for the first time in my life, black squirrels. ... pure black all over, with short plump bodies, & short bushy tails. ...
    (talk.environment)
  • The Black Squirrels of Stanley Park
    ... In 1989, I went to Vancouver, BC, Canada for the first time. ... surprized to see, for the first time in my life, black squirrels. ... pure black all over, with short plump bodies, & short bushy tails. ...
    (rec.animals.wildlife)