Grand Canyon Suicidal Tree Squirrel Photo Crashing

While on summer vacation to the Grand Canyon, I was momentarily caught off guard at the sight of a troubled tree squirrel, peering over the ledge. I pondered what traumatic event could have led the feeble tree squirrel to photo crashing while contemplating his demise. The 12 squirrel-mile fall to the bottom, was not likely to have a happy ending.

Was he driven to the edge of an abyss by the incessant borage of 5 million camera toting paparazzi tourists, and their 10 million feet? Had the photo crashing squirrel lost too many loved ones - victims of homicide by auto? Was it too many peanuts, popcorn, chips and breadcrumbs? Or had visitors finally heeded the Park Ranger's warnings and stopped "Feeding the Wildlife" all together? Had the long winters spent munching fermented juniper berries had finally taken their toll as the squirrel took leave of his senses? For the suicidal photo crashing tree squirrel, life was no longer worth peanuts.

Or, perhaps the suicidal squirrel was jealous of his "Portrait-Crashing Squirrel" cousin on the Today Show. Was this a premeditated stunt for the sole purpose of publicity for the oft forgotten tree squirrels of the Grand Canyon? Was I merely a pawn in some nefarious plot to bring the small rodent fame and fortunes in peanuts? This could have been a set-up, a meticulously calculated stunt. Were there small, unnoticeable guy wires, set-up for safety? Surely no real tree squirrel would stand death-defying, to be photographed mere millimeters from certain doom. Was I only taking a photo of the stunt double squirrel?

Had the pathetic, suicidal photo crashing tree squirrel truly gone nuts, or was this just another crasher squirrel gone wild incident, I will never know. But, the look of despair in the suicidal squirrel's tiny dark eyes will haunt my memories, and vacation photos, forever. If this was only another squirrel photo crashing, and nothing more, then this little suicidal squirrel deserves an Academy Award for Best Actor.

Click here to see Slideshow with Photos of The Grand Canyon Suicidal Tree Squirrel who photo crashed our vacation. Images are not PhotoShopped in anyway. No squirrels were harmed in the making of this slideshow. Update: The suicidal tree squirrel was eventually talked down from the edge unharmed.

Resources: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/32444890/ns/today-today_pets_and_animals/

http://www.associatedcontent.com/slideshow/25957/slideshow_of_grand_canyon_suicidal.html?cat=16