If you ask 100 people what their favorite thing about SU is,
you wouldn’t get a hundred different answers, but you will probably get answers
ranging from the basketball team, to the Greek life, to the weather (sarcasm). But
for me, my favorite thing about our school is our diverse animal wildlife.
With
an ideal climate, Syracuse University is home to some of the most unique
animals in the world. The animals of SU have been here long before us and will
stay long after we graduate. Recently there seems to be an increase in the
animal kingdom with a hotbed right here in South Campus. I was able to catch up
with Javier Morel, a sophomore living on South Campus who recently saw a family
of deer.
“So
I was walking from the bus stop, and then I heard the trees make noise,” Morel
said, “but then I remembered that trees can’t move, and then a big-ass deer
came running out and then another, and then a tiny one. That shit was crazy”.
I
had to see this for myself, so I did what any good investigative reporter would
do: create and lead a trip through SUOC (Syracuse University Outdoor Club) on a
wildlife trip around South Campus. I was a little bit discouraged to not find
any more animals between my apartment and the bus stop and back, but I did not
get discouraged as I decided to visit perhaps the most famous and most
mysterious creature in SU’s history. Urban legend says that William the Wacky
Wombat has been living in the woods by the tunnel between Flint and Day since
1870. Sightings have been few and far between and when they do occur, it is an
extraordinary occasion.
To
help increase public knowledge on this issue I have taken the liberty of
tweeting every time I see an animal. I tweet the type of animal and its
location every time I see one. You can help your fellow colleagues out as well
by doing the same, and don’t forget to add the hashtag #Syracusewildlife.
Due
to the recent influx of animals on campus, Health Services has decided to
require rabies shots for all incoming freshmen. The fraternities on campus have
volunteered collectively to help DPS solve this problem and are offering
freshman these shots for free.
