Squirrels are interesting animals. They are constantly thinking about survival, relying on their fast speed and impressive climbing skills to stay clear of predators. But it isn’t just other animals that they are wary of.
Getting up close and personal with a squirrel can be a challenge. They rarely come too near to humans, keeping their distance up a tree. But if you’ve watched a squirrel for long enough, you’ll notice them staring straight back.
Generally, they are very aware of their surroundings and are suspicious of humans. But why do they watch us so intensely? For the most part, they are sussing you out.
Squirrels constantly weigh up the the threat of danger in comparison to the reward of finding food. Research looking into urban grey squirrels has found that their escape responses change depending on how people approach them.
A team of scientists observed squirrels in New York City, looking into how they responded to two behaviours. In one scenario, people followed a path and didn’t look at the squirrels. In another, they purposefully walked in the squirrels direction looking at them.
When walking past the squirrel, they only moved 5% of the time. However, 90% of the times the squirrels moved when someone walked in their direction. While they will watch you in all scenarios, moving too early would waste energy. Instead, they wait until they observe a clear threat.
Humans generally put squirrels on edge. A 2025 study of 64 red squirrels in different parts of Finland showed that human presence was associated with lower success in solving basic food extraction tasks.
However, squirrels can become more understanding of humans. More recent research shows that urban squirrels are less wary than rural ones. In other words, squirrels eventually get used to us being around.
In fact, some research shows that squirrels are surprisingly good judges of human character. In one study, squirrels in a Polish urban park approached some people or begged for food, while others remained wary or fled. If you have a squirrel that frequents your garden, it could well just be one of the brave ones.
