david1300
12th Jul 2012, 06:24
Police believe groundhogs are responsible for a series of flag thefts from war veteran graves that have outraged a New Jersey community.
Around 75 United States flags had been removed from Civil War graves at the Grand Army of the Republic section of Cedar Park Cemetery in the lead up to Independence Day on July 4, the Register Star (http://www.registerstar.com/articles/2012/07/07/news/doc4ff8c3e9b3ead811499603.txt) reports.
The disappearing flags led to suspicion in the community that vandals were deliberately targeting the graves.
But when authorities in Hudson recently decided to set up video surveillance, it showed the flags were not being taken by heartless thieves.
A camera instead showed groundhogs that inhabit the cemetery climbing the tombstones, apparently to snatch away the decorations.
Video cameras were later guided into the groundhog burrows and showed the creatures had amassed a vast collection of flags underground.
Hudson Mayor Bill Hallenbeck said he was glad that a resident was not the perpetrator.
"I'm glad we don’t have someone who has taken it upon themselves to desecrate the stones and the flags in front of them," he said.
Groundhogs blamed for cemetery flag thefts (http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8498277/groundhogs-blamed-for-cemetery-flag-thefts)
Around 75 United States flags had been removed from Civil War graves at the Grand Army of the Republic section of Cedar Park Cemetery in the lead up to Independence Day on July 4, the Register Star (http://www.registerstar.com/articles/2012/07/07/news/doc4ff8c3e9b3ead811499603.txt) reports.
The disappearing flags led to suspicion in the community that vandals were deliberately targeting the graves.
But when authorities in Hudson recently decided to set up video surveillance, it showed the flags were not being taken by heartless thieves.
A camera instead showed groundhogs that inhabit the cemetery climbing the tombstones, apparently to snatch away the decorations.
Video cameras were later guided into the groundhog burrows and showed the creatures had amassed a vast collection of flags underground.
Hudson Mayor Bill Hallenbeck said he was glad that a resident was not the perpetrator.
"I'm glad we don’t have someone who has taken it upon themselves to desecrate the stones and the flags in front of them," he said.
Groundhogs blamed for cemetery flag thefts (http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8498277/groundhogs-blamed-for-cemetery-flag-thefts)
