HALIFAX — Things got a bit squirrelly in a Halifax neighbourhood after a furry critter climbed on top of a transformer, knocking out power for thousands of customers and fatally electrocuting itself in the process.
Nova Scotia Power spokeswoman Bev Ware says a squirrel scaled a transformer in a substation in the Hammonds Plains area just before 5 p.m. Thursday.
She says the rodent became a conduit for the electricity and the disruption subsequently caused roughly 5,400 customers to lose power.
The squirrel died as a result of the shock and power was restored around 6:30 p.m.
This isn't the first time a member of the animal kingdom has been blamed for power outages in Nova Scotia.
Crows, raccoons and seagulls have all caused the lights to go out in thousands of homes in the province over the last decade.
