The cable company had to replace the line to our house last month because a squirrel had chewed through the sheathing and let water in, affecting our service. It would have been much worse (but more immediately evident) if the critters had chewed through the electrical supply wire. In fact, squirrels are a bigger threat to the U.S. electrical grid than cyber attacks. It’s as if the squirrels are waging war on us!
That’s the premise of the website Cyber Squirrel 1. The folks who run it keep track of all publicly available record of attacks on the electrical grid of the U.S. and other nations, and the cause, if it can be determined. They have an interactive map that shows attacks from squirrels and other animals for records going back to 1987. Their data shows that squirrels are responsible for way more attacks on our power grid than any other animal, including humans. We have obviously not been successful so far in the battle against this ruthless and stealthy enemy. -via Metafilter
Dogs are our frustrated protectors that can't understand why we resist their efforts.