Hey Mr. Groundhog: University Of Michigan's Method Of Ridding Campus Of Rodents Under Fire

The University of Michigan’s method of dealing with a growing groundhog population isn’t sitting well with some people, who have complained its use of dry ice to kill the rodents is simply cruel.

According to a report in the Detroit Free Press, the university had tried to trap the groundhogs, but found they either tripped the traps without getting snagged or were manually released. The institution then turned to the dry ice method.

Dry ice, the solid form of carbon dioxide, is dropped into the rodents’ dens, where it turns to a gas and suffocates the animals, according to the Free Press article. (To stay up to date on local stories, subscribe to the Patch Detroit newsletter. As news breaks and the story develops, you will be the first to receive updates from Patch.)

The Humane Society of Huron Valley is among the critics of the university’s program. Wendy Welch, a spokeswoman for the agency, told the Free Press that the program is “cruel” toward the rodents.

“We understand that people get frustrated with wildlife sometimes and come up with other methods of dealing with them, but this is not an accepted or researched practice within wildlife management, for sure,” Welch said.

There are more humane ways to reduce the groundhog population, such as repellants or visual deterrents, she said.

“We really just think that this is a backwards way of temporarily — quote unquote — solving an issue, if it really is solving,” Welch said.

Read more about this story in The Detroit Free Press.

Image by the Associated Press