Squirrel Knocks Out Internet in Ohio County

An Ohio County has solved the mystery of a weekend-long internet blackout: It was a squirrel, not a careless contractor as first thought. A Medina County official says a squirrel nesting inside part of the local fiber network chewed through lines on Feb. 20, taking down phone and internet service for multiple government offices, including the prosecutor's and auditor's departments, reports Cleveland.com.

"It's hard to make this stuff up," County Administrator Matt Springer told Medina commissioners, per UPI. The county's IT staff initially thought that a contractor severed underground fiber, but a trace of the break led them to the squirrel nest inside the fiber infrastructure. Crews spent the weekend replacing about 500 feet of fiber and installing new underground housing, with service restored on the evening of Feb. 22. Officials are working to shore up protections.