That’s not a nut…
As critters who spend a lot of time scavenging for food on the ground, squirrels find all kinds of cool stuff that’s just lying around waiting to be discovered. I’ve seen squirrels pick up and play around with a wide variety of things in my decade of capturing their exploits…. everything from napkins to potato chips to cheese goop containers.
Then I ran into this squirrel at the park yesterday, who found something rather interesting, and I’ll be damned if I can tell just what it was he was so obsessed with!
Dafuq is that thing?
After getting that photo, he got wise to me and wasn’t about to let me figure out the secret of his treasure…
I’m not sharing this with anyone!
Well, whatever that huge object is, he definitely won’t be able to take it up the tree with him….
Never underestimate a squirrel…
Come on, dude! That’s much bigger than most squirrel toys I’ve seen over the years. I need a better look at that!
OK, one quick peek!
Is that a……….. steak!?!?
Gratuitously blurry close up…
I really doubt it is, because in the shots on the ground it appears to have a blocky and somewhat woody texture to it. But I’ll be damned if that doesn’t look like lost loot from a Memorial Day barbecue! Squirrels don’t really eat meat, but all animals will resort to turning carnivore if presented with no alternatives…
Just needs a little A-1 sauce…
This little rapscallion had a difficult time getting that steak-looking thing up the tree, but almost always ducking back out of sight before I could get another picture off. Every clear shot I could get of this major heist in process is included in this post…. including this last one when he made it to his destination and I gave up on my quest to get a good glimpse of that “mystery meat”…
Sorry, no humans invited.
So what was it? We’ll never know. And this week’s Saturday Squirrel will certainly be taking the secret to his grave. But not before enjoying a hearty lunch fit for a king…
Have a great weekend everyone!
Evil Squirrel's Nest 
It certainly looks like steak, though if it’s one of those atrocious plant based things it would be as hard as a nut and right up his alley.
Maybe that accounts for its wooden look. Oh well, it will keep his teeth filed down…
Well if that isn’t a grilled steak it’s a mighty good “fake steak” !! I just for fun googled “Do Squirrels Eat Meat” and in images I THINK (unless someone messed with the photos) I saw several eating meat. I think this guy scored big and his family will be eating a nice t-bone for dinner!
Pam
Whatever it was, it was definitely a sight to see! I never imagined I’d see a squirrel hauling a steak up a tree!
Sure looks like a steak to me, with those grill marks on it. Cute squirrel. 🙂
That is one thing that is not a mystery, definitely a cute squirrel!
I think you are right – at first, I thought it was a piece of toast, then a hamburger patty (which would have fallen apart). I just hope the meat seasoning doesn’t get to him or her.
If squirrels can survive the mystery ingredients in that yellow cheese goop, I think they’ll do alright with a little tenderizer…. assuming that steak got treated before it fell off the grill.
I initially thought that it might be a slice of toast, but then I also thought that it’s a steak (or plant-based alternative). Those grill marks look rather perfect, so likely it’s a fake steak. That last picture is adorable.
I’d have loved to have gotten a closer look, but that squirrel seemed determined to keep his treasure out of my sight. I can’t believe it’s really a steak, but I don’t know what those black marks could be but grill marks!
More proof squirrels are amazing!
I can barely carry things while walking on flat ground, and they can carry four course meals up a tree!!!
I’ve heard that sometimes squirrels eat eggs and small lizards so hey, steak and eggs are on the menu for breakfast.
I can imagine a bunch of hungry squirrels stalking a barbecue now….
Whatever it is, it looks like he’s going to feast well tonight. I have images of turning away from my BBQ for 2 seconds, then turning back and seeing no meat and the tails of of host of squirrels disappearing into the bushes…
I knew there was a reason I never barbecued, other than not wanting to burn the whole neighborhood down….
One day it’s steak, the next day–look out, the squirrels are coming to eat us! Once they get a taste…
Poor things will only end up with clogged arteries and a heart attack out of me!
Looks like petrified pizza.
The petrified I’ll definitely agree with. Whatever it is looks inedible…
And now he has a taste for flesh. Watch yourself!
Lucky for me, it’s illegal to take squirrels from the park home with me!