‘Squirrel Census’ launched for New York City’s Central Park

It’s one of the enduring mysteries of life in New York City: Just how many squirrels live in Central Park?

There could soon be an answer.

Counters started roaming the 840-acre park on Saturday for its first ever Squirrel Census.

READ MORE: Vets untangle 5 young squirrels with tails tangled in knot

Organizers of the two-week count tell The New York Times they’re looking to learn more about squirrel behavior and urban green space.

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Jamie Allen led similar censuses of Atlanta’s Inman Park in 2012 and 2016. He says the projects are filling a data void on squirrels and exposing patterns in how they live.

The Atlanta results helped inform a paper on the spread of the West Nile virus.

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The Central Park counters are tracking squirrels’ activities, such as running and foraging, coat color and sounds they make.

Their findings will be made public in the spring.