Mexico City has a lot of greenery—in its residential areas as well as its parks—so there are a lot of squirrels around. They’re everywhere, to the point that you see them in the trees lining the roads as well as in actual parks. You’ll even see them playing on the balconies of apartments and condos. Many people probably think of squirrels as being common in forests or rural areas, but there are tons of them in massively urban Mexico City as well. For me at least, it’s a bit strange to see squirrels everywhere along the city streets.
I don’t know if it’s the same in other countries, but the squirrels in Mexico City are super friendly. So friendly that you wonder whether it’s ok for a wild animal to be so trusting. You can find the tame ones in plazas and small parks too, but they’re especially common in places like Bosque de Chapultepec and Viveros de Coyoacan, where there are not only a ton of squirrels running around, but where a lot of people also feed them because they sell peanuts for the squirrels at the park entrances. The squirrels know you’re going to feed them, so they’re the ones that initiate contact. The person and the squirrel gradually come closer until eventually the squirrel reaches out cautiously with both hands and takes the peanut. It’s adorable to watch. Many of them bury the peanut in the ground once they get it. They’re so friendly that you can take close-up photos and they don’t even try to run away.




But no matter how cute they are, you still have to be careful around squirrels since they can give you rabies if they bite you. I don’t know why there are so many squirrels in Mexico City, but I would guess that you see so many around these days because people feed them. And even though they sell peanuts for the squirrels at the entrance of Viveros de Coyoacan, the park is also supposed to be a plant sanctuary, so they’ve posted signs saying that the growing squirrel population has started to damage the trees and they ask you to refrain from feeding them in certain areas. And yet, they don’t outright prohibit it or exterminate the squirrels. They’re so cute that most people can’t help but stop and look at them—so I guess it’s best to learn to live together with these little animals that bring us joy.


Viveros de Coyoacan
Viveros de Coyoacan, home to many squirrels, is set up to be as natural as possible—so it’s really like being in a forest. People come here to just sit and take it easy, stroll around, jog… or to interact with the squirrels, of course. It’s an incredibly tranquil place where you can get in touch with nature, so I love spending time there.