Kingston Library was forced to stay closed longer than usual Saturday morning (November 2) after a squirrel disrupted its opening.
Staff at the library announced the news on Twitter after revealing that "wildlife" had prevented the library from opening on time Saturday morning.
This little squirrel! We've fondly named him Ethelred, after King Ethelred of Kingston who was known as The Unready. Ethelred is unready to leave the library. pic.twitter.com/9x2guaXsdC
— Kingston Libraries (@kinglibheritage) November 2, 2019
A spokesperson for the library said:
"Kingston Library is currently unable to open due to wildlife in the library. We are aiming to open by midday. All other libraries are open as usual."
The cause, Kingston Library revealed, was a squirrel they decided to name "Ethelred" after the 10th Century King of England Ethelred 'The Unready' who came from Kingston.
The image posted by Kingston Libraries showed the squirrel resting near a radiator.
"This little squirrel! We've fondly named him Ethelred, after King Ethelred of Kingston who was known as The Unready. Ethelred is unready to leave the library," the spokesperson said.
In a later update posted after midday, Kingston Libraries said that they had contacted the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) to help rescue Ethelred from the library and get him back into wild as soon as possible.
"Kingston Library will remain closed for longer than expected. We are currently waiting for the RSPCA to arrive.
"The RSPCA have many calls per day, some of animals in much more danger than our library squirrel.
"For those concerned about the squirrel, he's been fed a grape, and is patiently waiting to be released," a spokesperson for the library said around 1.15pm.
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