Shahana Mirza told CTV News Toronto her car sat idle for a few weeks near her parents’ home in North York after her child was born. Until this week, he said he hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary the few times he drove.
“More recently though there has been a shake-up,” he said. “So I called my husband down the road and thought it needed to be serviced. The sign came up saying I needed an oil change.”
Mirza went to the dealership on Wednesday, describing the day as relatively uneventful. She was looking forward to taking a little break from motherhood and maybe sleeping in the waiting area—that is, until a service advisor approached her and said they found something unusual under the hood.
“He showed me these pictures and my jaw dropped.”
Hundreds of large walnuts, pebbles and hay filled every nook and cranny around the engine of Mirza’s car. The hood insulation, which absorbs engine heat, had been completely chewed through and shredded to create a nest.
“Whoever opened it at first must have jumped because the sight of it was incredible,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I don’t know, for some reason it made me feel so sick to my stomach that it was happening in my car.”
Shahana Mirza’s vehicle is seen in these photos taken at the dealership. (Provided) Mirza had to pay about $500 to replace the insulation, and about $500 more for officials to clean her vehicle. She said the dealership manager told her squirrels can get into a vehicle from underneath, but if you drive it often, the rodents will leave quickly. Regular checking under the hood can also prevent nesting. “I was busy with my baby in the first month,” Mirza said. “It was a learning experience.” While the experience was harrowing, the new mother said she’s lucky the damage wasn’t worse and that the animal hadn’t cut any wires. “They didn’t chew anything thankfully. They were just enjoying their luxury residence.”
