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Former NASA engineer builds squirrel obstacle course then watches them battle it out for treats
I have to admit, watching the squirrels go through the obstacle course was way more entertaining than I thought. ๐Ÿ˜‚
D.G. Sciortino
06.04.20

Watching birds gather at a feeder is a pastime enjoyed by many.

But this good time can be thwarted by squirrels.

These hungry guys will shovel in as much birdseed as they can get.

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Sometimes they eat so much they don’t leave anything at all for the birds.

It can be quite frustrating to bird lovers who go to great lengths to feed the birds in their neighborhood.

Former NASA Mark Rober was sick of it. Just plain sick of it.

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So, he used his NASA-level engineering skills to build a bird feeder so craftily that a squirrel would have no chance at stealing from his local birds.

“Squirrels were stealing my birdseed so I solved the problem with mechanical engineering,” Rober wrote in his YouTube video caption.

Rober’s gadgets are no strangers to internet fame. Several have gone viral on YouTube, including this one.

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In the past, he’s turned sand into liquid soap, built an epic glitter bomb, and even came up with a test to see if sharks can really smell blood.

But this gadget is truly something else and that’s evident in its name.

He calls it an “8-part ninja warrior obstacle course.” Even though Rober was trying to make sure that the squirrels couldn’t access the bird food, he still has a soft spot for the squirrels.

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He left them some walnuts that they could eat beside the bird feeding area.

But they only get the walnuts if they make it through the “8-part ninja warrior obstacle course.”

Rober’s 22-minute video has been viewed on YouTube more than 24 million times.

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Rober explains that this all started when he got really bored about 8 weeks ago and put out a bird feeder.

Though the bird feeder had a wire cage around it that was supposed to keep the squirrels out, the squirrels were smart enough to be able to open the bird feeder and jump right in.

He tried two more “squirrel-proof” bird feeders but the squirrels were able to get inside all of them.

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Thus the 8-part ninja warrior obstacle course was born.

First, the squirrels must cross the bridge of instability.

A rope bridge they have to quickly run across and cling to as it twists and turns.

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Next, the squirrel must enter the maze of a thousand corridors.

It doesn’t have quite that many corridors but it’s still a maze that will give a squirrel a little bit of trouble.

After that, it’s the pitchfork tumblers of treachery, a series of twirling pegs. These contraptions may seem dangerous but they are “squirrel-friendly.”

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The homewrecker is by far my favorite.

It’s a sexy stuffed squirrel that’s placed on a platform that will drop out from under them if they stand on it for more than three seconds forcing the squirrel to start all over again.

There’s another bridge after that, it’s called the sneaky bridge of deception which just looks like two Slinkys side-by-side.

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There’s no way the weight of the squirrel will be supported by these things when they try to go for the juicy walnut placed in the middle of the springs.

“This course is extremely challenging. It’s not for the timid of heart, but out of the gate , I admit that in hindsight I completely underestimated my adversary,” Rober admitted.

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Then the squirrel can take a break for a photo op in a cutout that makes them look like a cowboy.

After the quad steps of great elevation, the squirrels must engage the orbital assist platform.

We don’t want to spoil what this thing does so you’ll have to watch the video below!

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