A group of researchers are seeking volunteers in New York City to conduct a census of the squirrel population in Central Park.
The Squirrel Census, which has conducted Eastern gray squirrel counts in other cities since 2012, announced it is seeking volunteer squirrel-spotters to help map the rodents of Manhattan's most famous park Oct. 6-20.
The researchers, whose fields include animal science, cartography and design, said Central Park will be their biggest project to date.
"It just made sense to give ourselves the biggest challenge that we could," Jamie Allen, creator of the Squirrel Census, told AMNY. "We consider it the moon of parks."
Allen said the collected data will be used to create an interactive multimedia map of the park.
"It's a unique way to look at the urban greenspace," Allen said. "You will see [the park] through the eyes of the squirrel and you will learn the personalities of the Central Park squirrels."