Some people love squirrels, they consider these animals to be adorable little additions to our world. Other people dislike squirrels a whole lot.
Regardless of whether you like squirrels or don’t like them, it’s important to know what will happen if you harm them. So, is it illegal to run over a squirrel? This article looks into it.
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Is it illegal to run over a squirrel?
Whether it’s legal or illegal to run over a squirrel depends on where you are and what type of squirrel you run over. People in some areas see squirrels as valuable animals, people in other areas see squirrels as a nuisance.
We would never condone killing a wild animal unless it is absolutely necessary but we understand that accidents can happen especially because squirrels like to run in front of cars. (Read more about why they do that here)
Running over squirrels in different areas:
If you run over a squirrel that is a town or school mascot, then this won’t be good.
People who live in areas like the city of Olney Illinois, look at squirrels with high regard. The city has dubbed itself as the squirrel capital of the world.
If you were to run over a squirrel in Olney you may be hit with a fine. In addition, once the people in the town find out what happened, they will be less than friendly with you at best and you may be served with criminal charges at worst.
In other areas of the United States, red and grey squirrels are seen as game animals. If you accidentally run over a squirrel in these areas then nothing will happen to you as these animals are regularly killed for consumption.
If you’re in British Columbia, hunting squirrels in a humane way is permitted, and thus, accidentally running over a squirrel is not illegal as long as the squirrel is a non-native gray squirrel species.
The District of Columbia protects all squirrels by law and thus killing them by running them over is not permitted even if this is done by accident.
Can you legally kill a squirrel?
Yes, in the areas mentioned above you can legally kill a squirrel but there are some caveats.
In areas where it is legal to kill a squirrel, it is usually against the law to kill the animal by causing any unnecessary suffering to it.
Because it is almost impossible for many people to kill the animal without causing it to suffer, you will likely be in breach of this law if you do try to kill the animal.
Killing the squirrel without causing unnecessary suffering involves trapping the animal and killing it with a single blow to the head.
If you can’t do this, then you may be fined, many people have been fined for this.
Can a squirrel survive being run over?
A squirrel can’t survive being run over, however, a squirrel has a chance of survival if it is knocked by a car but is not crushed by the car.
If the animal is indeed run over and crushed then it will not survive. The weight of the car will be too much for the squirrel’s little body.
If a car hits a squirrel, and its limbs or tail are injured, then it may survive if the injuries are not severe and if the injury does not become infected.
If you hit a squirrel, and realize that it is still alive, you may want to take it to a wildlife rehabilitation center.
The professionals at these centers will assess the squirrel to see if the animal has a chance of surviving or not, if not, then they will euthanize it
Conclusion:
In conclusion, it is legal to run over a squirrel in most places but we don’t recommend doing this on purpose to kill the animal. It is illegal to kill squirrels in inhumane ways even where it is legal to kill the animal.
If you run over a squirrel, and it is still alive, it is recommended that you take the animal to a wildlife rehabilitation center where it will be examined and treated, or euthanized.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other squirrel related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Squirrel Not Moving But Breathing, Can A Squirrel Survive With A Broken Leg?, Squirrel Dragging Its Back Legs, Squirrel In Shock Symptoms, How To Save A Squirrel From Dying
