Squirrels go nuts on crack

SQUIRRELS are getting hooked on crack cocaine — hidden by addicts in gardens.
They are digging up the stashes and eating the mega-addictive drug, which comes in small chunks. Several have been spotted behaving bizarrely in Brixton, South London, since a police blitz against pushers and users. One resident said: “My neighbour said dealers had used my garden to hide crack. “Just an hour earlier I’d seen a squirrel digging in the flower-beds. “It was ill-looking and its eyes looked bloodshot, but it kept on desperately digging. It seems a strange thing to say, but it seemed to know what it was looking for.” Other residents have seen squirrels become unusually aggressive. The RSPCA said: “These animals are big foragers. They are attracted by smell and will dig up what they fancy. “If a squirrel did open a bag of crack and start consuming it there is no doubt it would die pretty quickly.” Crack squirrels are a recognised problem in America. They are common in parks used by addicts in New York and Washington DC. They have been known to attack park visitors in their search for a fix.