It was a hairy noon hour at the offices of the Battlefords News-Optimist Thursday.
Shortly after noon, sharp-eyed reporters noticed a furry creature running around underneath the radiators in the newsroom.
The creature ran past usually calm and collected news reporter John Cairns, who promptly exclaimed to coworkers "there's a gopher in the newsroom!"
The furry creature then went into hiding behind the filing cabinet next to reporter Heather Young's desk. After the initial shock, Cairns went upstairs to the composition area to relay to other workers news about what he had seen.
Initially, co-workers were skeptical of Cairns' story and thought this might be yet another in the long line of practical jokes Battlefords Publishing is famous for.
However, when Production Manager Claude Paradis, well known as an animal lover, and other staff came down to the newsroom, they saw the critter with their own eyes. The animal was seen scampering underneath the radiator in the newsroom, hiding once again behind a filing cabinet.
Staff members began attempts to trap the creature so it could be released back into the wild. Photographic evidence later confirmed the creature was indeed a gopher.
Initial attempts to trap the gopher inside a cardboard box were unsuccessful as the it scampered across the newsroom and underneath editor Becky Doig's desk. The creature then made its way back to the other end of the newsroom, hiding behind the filing cabinet next to vacationing sports reporter Trent Cey's desk.
After several minutes, Paradis used a blanket to cover and successfully trap the gopher, and placed it in a secure cardboard box.
Cairns contributed to the capture by standing back with his camera recording the entire sequence on film. Heather Young, initially ensconced safely on the seat of her chair, took an early exit proclaiming it was time for lunch. Becky Doig also contributed by getting out of the way and leaving the premises for her traditional Thursday afternoon off.
After showing off the successful capture to impressed co-workers, Paradis took his captive home to show his grandchildren, who promptly named it "Squeak." The kids wanted to keep it for a pet, but Grandpa assured them it would be happier among its own kind.
They later released Squeak at King Hill where it appeared to make new friends quickly and to settle in among the many gophers already established there.
It is still not known why the gopher decided to trespass on Battlefords Publishing property. One popular theory has it the gopher was attracted by the many Saskatchewan Roughriders flags and signs inside the newsroom.
