A squirrel was caught on camera appearing to buy a discarded nicotine vape in Britain in 2023. Photo courtesy of the RSPCA
March 25 (UPI) — Wildlife experts are warning of the dangers discarded nicotine products can pose after a squirrel was caught on camera “vaping” at a London park.
A video provided to The Telegraph shows a gray squirrel appearing to nibble on the mouth of a discarded vape atop a wooden fence at a park in Brixton.
Other photos and videos posted to various social media sites have captured other incidents of squirrels handling, chewing on and even buying discarded vape devices in the United States and Britain.
Craig Shuttleworth, a red squirrel expert at Bangor University, said the flavored liquid is likely what captured the squirrel’s attention.
“It would be reasonable to assume that a vape would be more attractive than a normal tobacco product that’s not fruity,” he told The Telegraph. “You don’t want animals ingesting nicotine. They don’t encounter nicotine in the wild, so like many chemicals, it’s something you don’t want them exposed to.”
He said the nicotine isn’t the only dangerous part of the vape.
“Eating a vape isn’t part of their natural diet. The components aren’t something they encounter in nature,” he said. “They could gnaw at it and consume some of the microplastics.”
The RSPCA, which previously issued a warning about the dangers of discarded vapes in 2023, said the latest video should serve as a reminder to properly dispose of litter.
“We would urge people to hold on to their litter until there’s an opportunity to dispose of it safely and responsibly — and to always recycle where appropriate, so we can reduce the number of animal casualties we see impacted by rubbish,” a spokesperson said.