East Hartford, Connecticut, is grappling with a mystery: someone keeps painting the squirrels. And not in some pleasant earth tones that allow them to blend in with the woodsy environment seamlessly. They look like they’ve been dyed using red and blue Kool-Aid packets.
Local animal control officers say these colorful squirrels were spotted around Naubuc Avenue and High Street. The squirrels are alive and seemingly fine. However, they are a little more visible than usual—like when a video game lets you highlight enemy NPCs to keep better track of them as they move around an environment. But with squirrels.
Officials shared photos on social media, showing the bright little guys decked out in pigment from nose to tail. It’s cute in an animal cruelty kind of way. East Hartford Animal Control is now actively investigating and asking the public for leads.
The concern isn’t just for the squirrels’ dignity. However, they must be so embarrassed. It’s mostly about their health.
Connecticut Has a Neon Squirrel Problem Thanks to Some Jerk
Most commercially available paints probably aren’t safe for squirrels. The wrong kind of chemical exposure could be harmful, or even lethal, for these animals. They likely did not voluntarily get dipped in a bucket of Behr Premium Gloss paint to resemble a contestant in a contest by a squirrel trainer, predicting which party would win an upcoming local election.
While the culprits remain at large, speculation has taken over local comment sections. Was it an art student with access to spray paint and a lack of impulse control? A rogue TikToker chasing clout? Did the squirrels do this themselves, and we’re simply judging their exploration of self and their yearning for meaning in this crazy world too harshly?
As of Monday morning, both the blue and red squirrels were still alive and still painted, but no new information has come in since the initial Facebook post. For now, the group squirrel painter remains anonymous.
If you have any information—or you’re just ready to confess to some truly baffling DIY squirrel art—East Hartford Animal Control is waiting by the phone.
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