by Jerry James Stone

Contra Costa County has installed 20 man-made perches on land in Concord and Walnut Creek to attract hawks, falcons, and eagles. They hope the predatory birds will hunt down the exploding squirrel population and kill them.

See, the squirrels in the area have been devouring fruit trees, digging up lawns, invading homes and taking over schools. It sounds silly but they've even stolen kid's lunches, eaten wiring, and set off alarms. The critters, it seems, are a cross between Nelson Muntz and a billy goat.

So for the first time as far as we recall, a county government is attempting to control rodent populations by luring in predatory birds. If you are wondering what kind of shenanigans might ensue between Hawk vs. Squirrel smackdown, the following video might help.