Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Squirrel Massacre in Astoria Must End!
By
Jen Carlson
Published May 8, 2008
Modified Jun 23, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published May 8, 2008
Modified Jun 23, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Astoria's Queensview Co-op is up against some wildlife advocates after hiring a nuisance wildlife control operator (NWCO) to trap and kill squirrels. The Empty Cages Collective is volunteer-run grassroots animal advocacy organization, and they want to put an end to what they deem an "ineffective attempt to manage the squirrel population."
In one corner you have the Queensview Co-Op, who are claiming that the pesky squirrels are chewing wires on their vehicles and getting into homes. In the other corner, Empty Cages assures them there is a more humane way of dealing with the problem (hawks?), and that new squirrels will simply replace the killed ones anyway.
According to PJ McKosky, spokesman for the Empty Cages Collective, these squirrels will continue to get into homes and chew wires if no habitat modification or repellents are used. Thus, an endless and expensive cycle of inefficient and cruel trapping of animals has the potential of becoming commonplace. McKosky advocates humane deterrents to prevent squirrels from entering areas (like attics, windows) by using chimney caps and other barriers.
The Queensview Co-op promises the squirrels are being released "elsewhere" after they're captured -- a lush green squirrel farm upstate, perhaps! No one, especially not the animal advocacy volunteers, is buying that; "the fact is many NWCO companies lie about the final disposition of the animals they trap." To that end, the collective is asking that the public band together and demand the Queensview Co-Op puts an end to their cruelty. Get in the letter-writing mood by reading about the friendly squirrel of Prospect Park, then find more details here.
Photo of Queens squirrel via Rachel Pincus's flickr.
Tagged
animal cruelty
astoria
Empty Cages
NWCO
Queensview Co-Op
squirrel
squirrels
wildlife control
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Published Oct 8, 2026
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
By
Sonia Rao
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
By
Alec Hamilton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .