Fuzzy friends at the county courthouse
<p>Security Officer of the Kootenai County District Court, Wayne "The Squirrel Whisperer" Olivo feeds a squirrel at City Park on Wednesday in Coeur d'Alene.</p>
<p>A squirrel poses for the camera on Wednesday at City Park in Coeur d'Alene. For over a decade employees of the Kootenai County District Court have been feeding squirrels that come around the building, leaving peanuts and water for them. They say it livens up the mood of an otherwise serious place.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - The squirrels living on the grounds of the Kootenai County Courthouse aren't discouraged by the complexities of the judicial system.
They thrive on it.
Dee Hilliard, who has worked as a courthouse security guard for 15 years, told The Press that a tradition of feeding the animals began a decade ago. She estimated there are eight "county squirrels" that reside on the grounds.
"There's probably been many generations of squirrels at this point. We see them come and go and we really enjoy them a lot," Hilliard said. "This building can get quite serious, and it brings a little normalcy and peace to the courthouse."
Most mornings, unless it's too cold or raining, Hilliard and other employees place piles of peanuts at two locations on the grounds. Outside the lower level of the Justice Building has become the squirrels' favorite spot. Hilliard said the animals have grown fond of their arrangement with the guards.
"If we ignore them, or don't feed them quickly enough, they will come right to the glass door and stare at us," Hilliard said. "They give me this look like 'Where's my food?'"
One courthouse guard in particular, Wayne "The Squirrel Whisperer" Olivo, has formed a special bond with the courthouse squirrels. He told The Press on Wednesday that the rodents have become so accustomed to him that they will often playfully climb on him while he feeds them peanuts.
"It's a good release from this place," said Olivo, who has worked at the courthouse for three years.
The guard has also changed the opinions of some courthouse employees who originally weren't fond of the critters. He said one employee in particular was afraid to try to feed the squirrels by hand.
"We finally got her to feed one a peanut," Olivo said. "After that she kept running back inside with a huge smile on her face asking for more."
Hilliard added that it's not just the employees who enjoy the company of the squirrels.
"You see a lot of people sitting on the benches, some of them are probably waiting for a hearing, or are unsure what's going to happen to them," she said. "But they see these little creatures and for that instant, they just forget about what's going on around them."
The grounds even see an occasional tourist visit and enjoy the large pine trees and the rodents that have made those trees their home. Hilliard said one day a couple visiting from Japan sat on a bench for more than an hour watching the furry critters.
When one visitor commented that the squirrels were tame, Hilliard said she laughed and replied, "They're just really spoiled."
"In this life we don't get enough laughter and we do need more laughter in our lives," Hilliard said. "These little creatures do that."
When The Press attempted to reach the animals for a comment on their county accommodations, the group's leader squirreled around the question before providing a brief response. However, a translator was not immediately available.