He’s no friend of Staten Island Chuck — but squirrels and birds may find an ally in Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Hizzoner said Friday he is “concerned” about a proposed rule to specifically ban the feeding of squirrels and birds in city parks.
There’s already a $50 fine associated with feeding wildlife in public parks, but the new rule would be amended to specifically include squirrels and birds.
Lucia Maria from the Bronx called in to the mayor during his weekly appearance on WNYC radio’s “The Brian Lehrer Show” to gripe about the planned ban.
“Many of the parks no longer have the habitat because they have new trees that have been planted in some of the designer parks, they don’t support the wildlife,” she said.
“This proposal diverts attention from garbage and litter in the park,” she said. “Instead it blames the people that are feeding the birds and the squirrels.”
The mayor seemed swayed by the caller.
“Thank you very, very much. You’re passionate on this issue, and you’re really making very powerful arguments,” de Blasio said.
He admitted that he hadn’t actually known about the proposed ban.
“This is one I want to get much more familiar with. I’m concerned. I think Lucia is raising some very good points,” he said. “So I will get more information and have internal conversations to see the whole picture here, and then I’ll have more to say.”
There was a public hearing on the issue in March, and the city is no longer receiving input from the public.
“The proposed rule change is still under review by Parks, and then it will need to have sign-off from the city Law Department,” a Parks Department spokeswoman told The Post.
“It does not require a council vote. We expect that the change will go into effect by this summer,” she said.
The mayor hasn’t always been a friend of the city’s furry denizens.
A week after de Blasio dropped Staten Island Chuck in 2014, the winter weather-prognosticating groundhog died of internal injuries.
Hizzoner skipped the groundhog ceremony this year, ceding the duty to City Council Speaker Corey Johnson.