Squirrel vs Nuts

I was on my way into work on Monday on my usual jaunt through the park when a grey squirrel crossed my path no more than 20 feet in front of me. It picked up something in it's front paws, placed it in its mouth and darted up the nearest tree. I wasn't aware that Ormeau Park had any wildlife besides birds and so I was surprised to see it living on or adjacent to the golf course since I thought they might be considered a nuisance. Of course we all know that it's the other way around and that golf is a nuisance to wildlife.

Ormeau Park is Belfast’s oldest municipal park. It was first opened as a park in 1871 and the gold course opened in 1893. This probably explains why there's a public path that cuts through the golf course and on my way home last week I was a few feet away from getting a Titleist in my skull and the owners should really be forced to put up netting to protect passers by as well as other golfers.

Interestingly, along with the old Maysfield Leisure Centre site, the Ormeau Park site is one of two sites that have emerged in recent months as alternatives to the Maze as a site for a new Northern Ireland Stadium which would replace the current Ozone facility.

Now if hundreds of golfers don't threaten the wildlife, surely 35,000 football fans will.