万花筒 2009-04-17&04-18 松鼠爱挖洞，杀之？（在线收听）

Popping up all over Spokane's Finch Arboretum, squirrels are becoming a growing nuisance for the city's Parks and Recreation Department.

It's sort of the trees or them.

The squirrels are digging tunnels and tearing up the grounds.

These holes are a serious tripping hazard.

That's why the Parks Department has called in reinforcements. Dubbed the Rodenator Pro, officials plan to use this special machine to blow up some of the 100 to 150 rodents.

They researched it, and found that this is gonna be the most cost-effective and humane way to get the job done.

The machine pumps propane and oxygen into the tunnels of squirrels and then sends an electric spark that causes an explosion. The shockwaves kill the squirrels and they collapse their tunnels.

It really needs to be done if people want an arboretum.

But the city's Humane Society disagrees. They're trying to stop the Rodenator Pro, saying the blasts are a temporary and unethical response. They say the problem could be solved by limiting the animal's food supply. Meanwhile, park officials are moving ahead with the explosions this week.

We're not gonna give up the arboretum to the ground squirrels I guess.

Park officials are warning area residents the explosions sound like gunshots and they should not be alarmed.

Diane Kepley, the Associated Press.