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Deadly Siberian chipmunks arrive in Cookridge
At first glance they look like they'd make perfect family pets.
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But although Siberian chipmunks might be cute and cuddly, wildlife experts are warning they could seriously damage your health.
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Thousands of the rodents are living in the wild in France, carrying a tick that can lead to deadly Lyme disease.
Fears have been voiced that the chipmunk population is now spreading to the UK via the Channel Tunnel – and today it emerged that one of the first reported British sightings of the animal came in Cookridge.
Motorist Doreen Walker, 61, spotted FIVE of the critters while she was driving on Otley Old Road.
Mrs Walker, a retired civil servant, told Horsforth Today: "They appeared from the undergrowth. I was stunned – I hadn't a clue what they were.
"They looked cute but it sounds like people should keep well away."
Siberian chipmunks, which can also carry rabies, were first imported to Europe from Asia in the 1970s. The number living in northern France is currently estimated at more than 100,000.
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With some French traders selling the rodents for less than 10 each, British tourists are being urged not to bring them home as pets.
Conservation agency Natural England says anyone seeing a chipmunk should try to contain it in a cardboard box – provided they can avoid being bitten – before calling the RSPCA.
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Weather for Leeds
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
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