Squirrels of Seattle, Boston and Toronto are stealing Christmas light bulbs

Squirrels of Seattle, Boston and Toronto are stealing Christmas light bulbs for reasons unknown. In Seattle, a homeowner has filmed a squirrel repeatedly stealing her Christmas light bulbs. The rodent has apparently made off with dozens of them a day.
In fact, it has stolen 150 in 24 hours by carefully and precisely chewing through the wires - it later buries the bulbs around the neighborhood.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 15 December 2016.

Similar report has come from Boston - it seems a band of squirrel outlaws had repeatedly caused outages of the holiday lights that adorn 60 trees on Boston Common. One probable reason is that these rodents like the taste of copper. And, another such incident has been reported from Toronto - squirrels there have been destroying the lights that cast a glow on a park called Mel Lastman Square in the city.
However, a doctoral candidate at the University of California at Berkeley who studies squirrel caching, has unearthed a reason for this behaviour. In her opinion, these bulb-stealing squirrels are mistaking their booty for nuts. Since this is a busy, pre-winter food storage time for squirrels, and because Christmas lights are vaguely shaped like acorns, the squirrels feel the light bulbs are nuts that are to be stored.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org
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London's Soho and Piccadilly Circus go dark after major power cut

London's Soho and Piccadilly Circus were plunged into darkness by a major power cut. As a result, the famous Piccadilly Circus electronic advertising billboards which are usually a blaze of multi-coloured neon light, were left in darkness.
Theatregoers who were heading for the performance of Aladdin the Musical were disappointed - they came to know that the show had been cancelled. A spokesman for the Disney show, playing at the Prince Edward Theatre, informed that tickets would be refunded.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 26 November 2016.

Soho's Rupert Bar was in the dark but it continued to serve customers by candlelight. Some shops in Regent Street were affected by the cut but, the Christmas lights strung across the road were still working. Similarly, some restaurants, bars and shops temporarily closed down until power could be restored.
The Tube network was not affected but travelers were held at Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Circus stations to prevent overcrowding.
This incident reveals our dependence on electricity - its absence means misery in all fields.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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