‘Nutty’ situation in Lincoln Park WGN Investigates

Human Health & the Environment

WGN News, 09 29, 2026

Video (4:23)

Description

The piles of nuts first began appearing outside a Lincoln Park home a few years ago, attracting a swarm of squirrels. Since then, workers carrying matching shoulder bags have been spotted dumping piles of nuts a few blocks away in the park, and no one can figure out why. WGN’s Ben Bradley has the full story.

Transcript

0:07 · MICAH MATERRE: WGN INVESTIGATES SOMETHING IS HAPPENING IN LINCOLN PARK. RESIDENTS REACH OUT TO INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER BEN BRADLEY FOR HELP AFTER CITY FINDS FAILED TO SOLVE A SQUIRRELLY SITUATION.

0:22 · I WAS WALKING AROUND THE PARK AND I KNOW DOZENS OF POLLS AROUND TREES AND THEN I STARTED SEEING MORE AND MORE HOLES AROUND DIFFERENT TREES.

0:28 · WHEN HERE THERE’S A DOZEN HOLES AROUND THE STREET HERE.

0:31 · AND THEN A FEW MONTHS AGO, I WENT FOR A WALK AT DUSK AND WITHIN 15 MINUTES I COUNTED 42 RATS RUNNING AROUND.

0:41 · YEAH, AS YOU CAN SEE, I MEAN, THERE’S A TON OF RAT BURROWS HERE THAT EVEN PIKE WAS SO STUNNED BY THE SWARM OF RATS IN LINCOLN PARK. HE TOOK THIS VIDEO. OTHER NEIGHBORS NOTICED YOU KNOW, YOU SEE SOME RATS IN THE ALLEY AND STUFF RIGHT NEAR THE TRASH. AND THAT’S AGAIN, COME TO BE EXPECTED. BUT THIS WAS DIFFERENT. CAN SEE HERE IS A RAT TRAIL. IT WASN’T UNTIL RECENTLY THAT THEY REALIZED HOW DIFFERENT THIS ALI IS.

1:07 · BUT I JUST GRABBED THE PEOPLE OF THIS GETS INTO THE STRANGER THAN FICTION ASPECT OF IT. IT’S LIKE A A LOT OF NICE KNOTS. I’M TALKING BRAZIL, NOT AND I WAS LOOKING AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, ARBORIST, BUT THESE DO NOT COME FROM THE STREET. THESE ARE NOT ACORNS. YOU CAN SEE ALL THE SCATTERED KNOTS AROUND.

1:28 · YOU SEE THOSE NUTS AREN’T FALLING FROM TREES. THEY APPEAR TO BE IMPORTED.

1:34 · JI SUK YI: AND WHILE THEIR PILES BIZARRE, EXPENSIVE, NOT EVERYWHERE IN OUR PARK.

1:39 · NO ONE COULD CRACK THE NUT OF AN EXPLANATION UNTIL ONE MORNING THIS YEAR WHEN CAROLINE NOVAK WAS OUT FOR A WALK.

1:45 · AND I ACTUALLY SAW A HANDFUL OF THEM. I THINK IT WAS 5 WALKING EARLY IN THE MORNING OF THE SAME SHOULDER BAG. AND SO I JUST SAID, HEY, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?

1:52 · BECAUSE THEY WERE THROWING THE KNOT.

1:53 · SHE’S NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO WITNESSED IT. I NOTICE SOMEONE WITH A SATCHEL AND JUST THOUGHT IT WAS SOMEONE OUT THERE FEEDING SQUIRRELS.

2:04 · JI SUK YI: SO I WALKED UP AND I, YOU KNOW, JUST HAD HAND. I WAS JUST CURIOUS WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING WIRE 3 AND HE’S NOT GOING TO THESE TREES. AND SHE SAID WERE ALLOWED TO DO THIS. AND I SAID, OH, YEAH, I WAS JUST CURIOUS WHY YOU WERE DOING IT. SHE SAID WE’RE NOT FEELING THE WRATH UNPROMPTED. I DIDN’T EVEN BRING UP. SHE SAID WE’RE NOT PAYING HULL, OK? WELL. I THINK YOU INADVERTENTLY ARE.

2:26 · THEY AND OTHER NEIGHBORS COMPLAINED TO THE CITY WHICH DETERMINE TO A NEARBY HOMEOWNER WAS LEAVING NOTTS OUTSIDE THEIR OWN HOUSE ATTRACTING NOT ONLY SQUIRRELS, BUT THEY’RE RODENT COUSINS, RATS. THE NEIGHBORS SUSPECTED THE CREW LEAVING THE NUTS A FEW BLOCKS AWAY IN THE PARK ARE DOING SO AT THE DIRECTION OF THE HOMEOWNER.

2:45 · JOSH FRYDMAN: EVEN DOUBT WITH IT. BUT WE’VE NEVER DEALT WITH A SITUATION WHERE IT’S LIKE FEED FOR HIRE FOR BETTER OR LACK OF THE TERM WHERE SOMEONE’S PAYING SEVERAL EMPLOYEES TO FEED THE ANIMALS IN THE SURROUNDING AREA.

2:59 · BEN BRADLEY: THE ALDERMAN SAID THE CITY CONTACTED THE HOMEOWNER AND EVEN ISSUED MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS, WHICH HE SAYS HAVE BEEN PAID AND NOT CONTESTED.

3:06 · TYPICALLY WHEN YOU TICKET SOMEBODY, IT STOPS THEIR BAD BEHAVIOR. THIS IS NOT STOPPED IT. IF ANYTHING, THE BEHAVIOR IS INCREASE, THE FEEDING INCREASED SINCE WE’VE TICKETING THAT.

3:20 · LAST MONTH THE ALDERMAN’S OFFICE SENT THIS LETTER WARNING THAT MORE FINES COULD BE COMING IF THEY DON’T KNOCK IT OFF WITH A KNOTS. WE DON’T WANT TO THROW ANYONE UNDER THE BUS. WE JUST WANT TO STOP THIS FEEDING THAT’S CAUSING PROBLEMS IN A DENSE NEIGHBORHOOD.

3:34 · BEN BRADLEY: ALDERMAN KNUDTSON SAID HE ISN’T SURE HOW THIS WILL END OR EVEN WHY IT STARTED. WE WANTED TO KNOW OURSELVES. SO WE PAID THE HOME OF VISIT AND ENCOUNTERED A WOMAN WHO WOULD NOT GIVE HER NAME.

3:45 · I’M JUST TRYING BETTER UNDERSTAND LIKE WHY ARE ALL THESE KNOTS BEEN GATHERED UP?

3:47 · WHY ARE THEY BEING DISTRIBUTED IN LINCOLN PARK? I REALLY HAVE NO COMMENT FOR HIM. SORRY.

3:50 · I’D SAY MY GOAL IS TO GET RID OF THE RATS. I MEAN, I WANT TO FEEL COMFORTABLE HAVING MY KIDS PLAY IN THE PARK TOGETHER RIGHT NOW. IT’S AN ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET FOR THE RATS AND SQUIRRELS. MY BEN BRADLEY: NEIGHBORS SAY THEY HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE PROVERBIAL OLD MAN FEEDS PIGEONS IN THE PARK. BUT THEY SAY THIS. HE’S GOTTEN SO STRANGE.

4:10 · THEY’D LAUGH IF IT WEREN’T FOR ALL THE RATS AND DAMAGE IN THE PARK AFTER THE CITY ISSUED A FINAL WARNING LATE LAST MONTH, WE DID SEE A WORKER’S SWEEPING UP OUTSIDE THE PA RK THE HOU