A rapidly spreading video recorded in a South London park has drawn attention to one of the most severe problems of modern urban waste affecting wildlife. The footage shows a grey squirrel holding a disposable e-cigarette (vape) in its paws and gnawing on it. Animal welfare experts and researchers warn: although the scene might seem amusing or shocking to many on social media, fruit-scented electronic waste containing nicotine, batteries, and microplastics poses a drastic threat to the animal kingdom.
The Brixton Incident and the Anatomy of the Viral Video
The video was filmed in the Brixton neighborhood of South London. In the footage—shared on March 24, 2026, by X (formerly Twitter) users such as Dom Lucre and Rawsalerts—a grey squirrel can be seen sitting on a wooden fence, holding a colorful disposable e-cigarette with its front paws.
🚨#BREAKING: Watch as viral video captured in South London show squirrels vaping with discarded e-cigarettes, seemingly drawn in by the fruity scent after mistaking it for food. pic.twitter.com/a3N4rZ9aHg
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) March 24, 2026
The animal is seen chewing on the plastic mouthpiece. Although the term “vaping squirrel” quickly spread in internet slang, experts clarified that rodents are anatomically incapable of taking a drag or inhaling in the classical sense; the squirrel in the clip is exclusively chewing the plastic casing. The video reached millions of views in a short time and divided the online community: while some were fascinated by the bizarre sight, a significant portion of commenters reported shock and sadness at the display of urban pollution. Furthermore, the phenomenon is not isolated: similar cases have been recorded in recent years in the United States (Philadelphia) and other parts of the UK (for example, in Wallasey in 2023).
The Reason for Attraction: Fruity Scents and the Illusion of Food
Classic tobacco products, such as traditional cigarette butts, have been present on city streets for decades, yet squirrels have never shown any particular interest in them. However, the rise of e-cigarettes has changed this dynamic.
Craig Shuttleworth, a red squirrel specialist at Bangor University, explained regarding the phenomenon: rodents are highly unlikely to be attracted to the nicotine itself. It is the strong, sweet, specifically fruity scents found in the e-liquid of e-cigarettes that deceive the animals. Squirrels identify the artificial aroma as a natural food source (such as fruit or berries) and therefore try to chew through the plastic casing to access the contents inside.
“Consuming vape liquid is not part of their natural diet at all. They would never encounter these compounds in nature,” Shuttleworth emphasized, adding that the smell of traditional tobacco products was nowhere near as attractive to wildlife.
Toxic Ingredients: Chemical and Physical Dangers
Behind the seemingly amusing video lie serious animal welfare and ecological risks. Experts from the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and representatives from the animal protection organization Grey Squirrel Protection UK unanimously sounded the alarm upon seeing the footage.
Chewing on and potentially swallowing parts of discarded e-cigarettes poses the following specific dangers to animals:
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Nicotine Poisoning: Although the squirrel is primarily looking for the scented liquid, its high nicotine content can quickly become toxic for animals with small body masses.
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Microplastics: While chewing the plastic mouthpiece, the animal can ingest pieces of microplastic, which can cause blockages or internal injuries in the digestive system.
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Batteries and Heavy Metals: Disposable devices contain built-in lithium-ion batteries and circuits. If physically damaged, toxic chemical residues and heavy metals can leak into the animal’s body or the soil.
Evie Button, a scientific officer at the RSPCA, even dissected a disposable vape in a separate investigation to accurately map its internal structure and the mechanisms that attract animals, confirming the deceptive effect of the fruity scents.
Quantitative Data: 5 Million Discarded Devices a Week
The incident is not merely an isolated animal welfare problem but a symptom of a much broader waste management crisis. According to official statistics provided by the RSPCA, the situation in the United Kingdom has reached critical proportions:
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Approximately 5 million single-use e-cigarettes are thrown away every week in the country.
A significant portion of this massive amount of slow-degrading, hazardous waste ends up in parks, on streets, and in natural habitats, posing a direct and continuous threat to urban wildlife.
Official Sources and References:
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(Official British animal welfare organization referenced in the article: Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals / RSPCA – rspca.org.uk)