Police are investigating after several sick squirrels and an unknown substance were found at South Arm Park.
Multiple trees have been taped off as police investigate the disturbing find by a Richmond resident.
Leona Goulette and another Richmond resident were walking along the west side of Richmond’s South Arm Park in early June when they saw a squirrel that appeared to be moving slowly but didn’t run away when approached.
“I walked up to one and it was just slow. It tried to climb up a tree but he just couldn’t, so he came back down and stood there,” said Goulette, adding that she thought it may have been a baby just learning how to climb.
Then she and another community member noticed three more squirrels lying at the base of several trees in the area -- barely breathing. That prompted them to report the situation to the BC SPCA. A staff member came out to collect the squirrels, and a bit of the substance, and took them away for testing.
“We didn’t know what it was, but we figured it was poison.”
A week later, Richmond resident Jennifer MacNeil, who often walks with Goulette in the same park, said it appeared nothing was being done to secure the area, so she contacted the Richmond RCMP.
The police told her they were “unable to do anything” unless she saw someone actively distributing the “poison” throughout the park, MacNeil told the Richmond News.
However, she was instructed to place signs around the park to create awareness for other park goers.
“It’s concerning because kids, families and dog owners frequent the park, and something so dangerous that it could make animals sick could easily make us sick too,” said MacNeil.
On June 10, Richmond Fire-Rescue, Richmond city staff and RCMP arrived at the park to examine the substance at the trees, which police have confirmed is poison.
Multiple trees in the park were cordoned off after Richmond Fire-Rescue identified the white substance as 1-Octanethiol, a compound often used in the production of other chemicals.
According to Richmond RCMP, an environmental cleanup team was called to remove the substance.
“Fortunately, the resident recognized something was wrong when she started seeing a number of dead and sick squirrels,” said Cpl. Ian Henderson, spokesperson for the Richmond RCMP.
“Richmond RCMP and the City of Richmond are putting out this public warning to ensure residents, particularly pet owners, be aware and keep an eye out for anything suspicious, including multiple dead or sick wildlife in a concentrated area.”
At this point, there have been no reports of people or family pets falling ill nor of other similar incidents in Richmond.
Police said they are still investigating how the toxic substance got into the park.
“Whether (the toxic substance) was placed in specific locations intentionally or simply dumped in the park, this substance has no place here, and our investigators are working to determine who was responsible,” said Henderson.
When Goulette was asked if she expected something like this to happen in the Richmond community, she responded “absolutely not.”
“This is crazy. We never expected something like this to happen so close to home nor should it happen anywhere,” she said.
Meanwhile, MacNeil said she wasn’t particularly surprised.
“Because of my history with dog rescues, I don’t put anything past humans,” said MacNeil.
“I don’t think they thought about the harm their actions could bring to children or other animals in the area.
Both residents assume the person, or people, who put out the poison, did so to get rid of the squirrels in the park -- not to harm kids or pets.
Richmond RCMP is encouraging community members to be vigilant in local parks and to report suspicious activity to police immediately.
Anyone who sees someone placing a substance at the base of trees in South Arm Park is urged to contact the Richmond RCMP at 604-278-1212 and quote file number 21- 15615.
