Squirrels are a common sight in many parts of the world, but very few people know about the special role that squirrels play in sustaining our modern way of life. Every time you make a telephone call, or use an electrical appliance, you should probably thank a squirrel. This is because squirrels have the very important job of maintaining the cleanliness of the overhead electricity and telephone cables which are strung alongside our roads and between our houses – and without the squirrels, the build-up of dirt on the cables would lead to interruptions in the electrical supply and eventually cause them to break.