An eastern gray squirrel named Rat-tail has set a new town record by emptying a bird feeder in .08 seconds without knocking it down. Rat-tail competes in the renowned Pin Hill Wetlands League, and trains in the marshy conservation area along Bowers Brook. He is one of four squirrels who qualified for the final round of the annual Birdfeeder Cup last weekend in the side yard of a house on Under Pin Hill Road.
The competition began promptly at 8 a.m., when the four finalists—Rat-Tail, White Ears, Hulk, and Rocky—emerged from the woods and raced to the squirrel-proof feeder nearest the house. Spectators groaned as Rocky detoured toward a scattering of seeds near the steps. White Ears faltered near the base of the birdfeeder pole, and Hulk—the early favorite—inexplicably lost his focus.
This was Rat-tail’s moment and he made the best of it, vaulting up the pole, hanging upside down on the feeder, and emptying its contents in the blink of an eye. The four competitors shared the prize scattered on the ground, as they typically do during training exercises.
Rat-tail will enroll at Yale University next year, where he was recruited as a champion pole vaulter. He will be the first squirrel ever formally admitted to Yale, but expects to have no problems with the curriculum. He plans to pursue a double major in aerodynamics and engineering and apply what he learns to make sure no squirrel ever goes hungry again
