Squirrel-kicking video under investigation by Grand Canyon officials
The men in the video could face six months in jail
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Two men who appeared in a viral video in which one lured a squirrel to the edge of what appears to be the Grand Canyon and kicked it off the edge, are being pursued by US authorities.
However, park officials fear it is unlikely they will find the pair who are believed to be French.
“Right now they are working on it,” said Grand Canyon National Park spokeswoman Kirby-Lynn Shedlowski on Monday.
“They realize that [the video has] been seen by a lot of people and that there's some sensitivity to treatment of wildlife.”
The short clip which was posted on YouTube shows a topless, barefoot man in shorts and a straw cowboy hat laying a trail of food at the edge of a canyon. He then puts on one of his shoes and kicks the squirrel into the air. Meanwhile, another similarly-dressed man looks on.
Shedlowski said the geographical features of the canyon in the video appear to match part of the iconic US National Park in Arizona.
On Monday, the authorities have attempted to contact the YouTube user who uploaded the video, but they have not received a response.
Grand Canyon Chief Ranger Bill Wright said that no one had reported the incident at the time, but he instead heard the allegations when the video was brought to the park's attention on Saturday.
A squirrel stands at the South Keibab Trail at the Grand Canyon South Rim at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona (Getty)
Read more: Sailors save drowning squirrel
Man filmed swinging chihuahua to appear in court
The 'vampire squirrel' has the world's fluffiest tail
Ministers defeated in grey squirrel battle
Baby squirrel recovers from falling 75 feet
The park has since received messages from people appalled by the behaviour of the men, and urged authorities to hold him accountable.
“I think they took an opportunity to get something on video, which is really foolish,” said Wright, adding he doesn’t believe the video is a hoax.
If the men are found, they could face a charged of disturbing or harassing wildlife — a federal petty offense that carries a maximum six months in jail and or a $5,000 fine.
It is unlikely that rangers will attempt to put forward the incident as a case of animal cruelty, added Mr Wright, as that would require them to retrieve the squirrel and prove that it was injured or had died.
That task would prove difficult, considering the average depth of the Grand Canyon is 1 mile (1.6 km). In addition, some of its rock outcroppings, trails, and other ledges don't guarantee that something going over the edge would fall a mile below, Wright said.
Squirrels are commonly seen at the Grand Canyon, where the creatures have become accustomed to tourists, and climb on their laps, beg for food and ransack backpacks.
Park officials discourage visitors from petting or feeding wildlife because the animals can bite or attack.
Additional reporting by AP
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments