Dec. 30/2020

Feature:

Groundhogs dig up bones at Montreal Cemetery

   "MONTREAL- When Michelle McSweeney saw a groundhog crawl into an above-ground tomb at Montreal's Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery, it was hard not to be freaked out...

   Groundhogs have long been a common sight around the city, where their scurrying presence may delight wildlife-watchers but constitutes a nuisance for gardeners tired of filling in burrow holes...

   Daniel Granger, a spokesman for the cemetery, says workers 'occasionally' come across bones that have been unearthed by groundhogs. 

   'Not every day, but it happens a few times in the summer,' he said.

   When it happens, he said the bones are collected & reburied in the same spot where they are found, & the burrows are sealed. 

   McSweeney, who has visited the cemetery about 10 times a year for the past 5 or 6 years, says she's seen bones next to groundhog holes on 2 occasions, both about 2 years ago...

   'For me it was mostly surprising & a little sad, but it's not totally unexpected given how many holes & how deep the holes are,' she said...

   McSweeney says she sees at least 10 groundhogs every time she visits the cemetery, & feels their numbers have increased in the last couple of years.

   Granger, on the other hand, doesn't believe the problem is getting worse...

   But he noted there have been fewer foxes sighted on the mountain in recent years, which might have helped a groundhog population boom...

   David Rodrigue, a biologist with the Ecomuseum Zoo west of Montreal, says groundhogs are an 'edge species' that need open ground to dig in but also places to hide, such as bushes or shrubs.

   'If you look at the cemetery, it's actually perfect habitat all around,' he said.

   Rodrigue said groundhogs have teeth that are constantly growing, & they need to chew on things to keep them pared down, including wood or even bones if they find them...

   Granger said there's not much the cemetery can do about the groundhogs besides plugging their holes, because city rules prevent more drastic action...

   McSweeney says the wildlife at the cemetery is a big part of its appeal..."

Morgan Lowrie

The Canadian Press

in The Gazette, Montreal

Sept. 14/2020

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