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Animal Justice is celebrating a huge win for ground squirrels in Winnipeg! <\/strong>After months of advocacy from Animal Justice, along with scientific experts and local animal protection groups, Manitoba Environment and Climate Change Minister Mike Moyes denied the city a permit to gas ground squirrels.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ground squirrels are clever and curious rodents, known for building complex burrows to protect their families from predators. The City of Winnipeg was planning to use \u201cGiant Destroyer\u201d brand sulfur gas bombs in athletic fields and parks to massacre ground squirrel families in their burrows. Animal Justice consulted experts, worked with local groups, and wrote to the city and province, explaining that the plan was not only cruel and inhumane, but also ineffective. More than 6,000 members of the public also submitted comments opposing the plan.<\/p>\n Minister Moyes made the science-based and compassionate decision to reject the City\u2019s pesticide permit request, citing the clear availability of more effective, humane alternatives to dealing with ground squirrel holes in athletic fields. <\/strong>When Animal Justice visited one of the fields on the list last week, we were surprised to see very few holes near baseball diamonds. Thankfully, the province is encouraging the City of Winnipeg to consider filling in any holes that pose a risk, rather than gassing entire colonies.<\/p>\n