By Miriam Raftery
August 10, 2018 (Lakeside) – Weasels haven’t been seen for five years at Lakeside’s Lindo Lake County Park. But this morning, photographer Billy Ortiz videotaped a welcome sight: a weasel has returned.
“This weasel brings me more joy than any other animal, just cracks me up watching its antics,” he wrote on Facebook.
Ortiz adds this advice: “If you want to catch a glimpse of it, hit the park between 7 and 9 a.m. You will find it across from the horseshoe pits.”
Just why the weasels went away previously is unknown. But county parks staff concerned about gopher holes posing trip hazards near walkways had eradicated gophers—a favorite food of weasels.
Now the natural rodent control is back – much to the delight of wildlife watchers in Lakeside.
Comments
Weasels in North SD county??
Be Careful of what you wish for PC.ers.
This variety of weasel is native to our area, Kevin.
I should have clarified this is not an escaped pet, though rare here, they are native to our region. It is true, though, that they can be destructive if they find their way into a henhouse, just as some other species can including snakes, bobcats and mountain lions.