Today’s story, from UPI: Loose squirrel causes chaos inside Meta office in Thailand (by Ben Hooper, UPI, July 9, 2026).
🟢 Beginner
Reading
A squirrel got loose inside an office building in Thailand. The building belongs to Meta, the company that owns Facebook.
The squirrel was inside a package. Someone delivered the package to the office. When workers opened it, the squirrel jumped out and ran away.
The squirrel ran through the building. It was scared and fast. It scratched a cleaner a little bit, but the cleaner was okay.
Workers finally caught the squirrel. Everyone at the office talked about it. Some workers even made a funny video about it.
Nobody knows why there was a squirrel in the package. The company has not explained what happened.
Vocabulary
- loose — free, not held or controlled
- office — a building where people work
- package — a box sent to someone
- deliver — to bring something to a place
- scared — feeling afraid
- scratch — to cut skin lightly with claws or nails
- catch — to get hold of something moving
- explain — to give a reason for something
Comprehension Check
Discussion
- Have you ever seen a wild animal somewhere it shouldn’t be? What happened?
- What would you do if a squirrel ran loose in your office or classroom?
- Why do you think the workers made jokes about it afterward?
🟡 Intermediate
Reading
A squirrel caused chaos inside one of Meta’s offices in Bangkok, Thailand, after it escaped from a package that had been delivered to the building.
According to an internal memo reviewed by Wired, the squirrel got loose and ran freely through the office. During the commotion, it scratched a janitor, causing a minor injury, before employees were able to catch it.
A New York Times reporter shared details of the incident online after speaking with Meta employees, noting that workers had a lot of fun with the story internally. One employee even created an AI-generated video that mimicked an HR training course on “squirrel-related office best practices.”
It remains unclear why a live squirrel ended up inside a package sent to the office, and Meta has not yet commented publicly on the incident.
Vocabulary
- chaos — a state of complete confusion or disorder
- memo — a short written message, often shared inside a company
- commotion — a sudden noisy disturbance or confusion
- janitor — a person who cleans and maintains a building
- minor — small in size, importance, or effect
- mimic — to imitate or copy something closely
- internally — within an organization, not shared publicly
- remain unclear — to still not be understood or explained
Comprehension Check
Discussion
- Why might a company choose not to comment publicly on an unusual incident like this?
- Do you think making jokes about a workplace incident is a good way to handle stress, or could it cause problems?
- What safety measures do you think offices should have for unexpected situations like a loose animal?
🔴 Advanced
Reading
An otherwise ordinary day at Meta’s Bangkok office turned chaotic when a squirrel escaped from a delivered package and bolted loose through the building, according to an internal memo reviewed by Wired.
In the ensuing commotion, the squirrel scratched a janitor, resulting in a minor injury, before staff were eventually able to corner and catch the animal. Details of the episode later circulated publicly after a New York Times technology reporter shared an account of the incident based on conversations with Meta employees.
Rather than treating the episode as a serious workplace hazard, staff apparently leaned into the absurdity of the situation: one employee reportedly produced an AI-generated video parodying a corporate HR training session on “squirrel-related office best practices,” a detail that captures the incident’s surreal, almost farcical tone.
What remains unresolved is the more basic question of how a live squirrel came to be packaged and delivered to a corporate office in the first place. Meta has offered no public explanation, and the mystery of the squirrel’s origin appears likely to persist, adding to the story’s odd, slightly unsettling charm.
Vocabulary
- bolted — moved suddenly and quickly, especially to escape
- ensuing — happening afterward, as a result
- corner (verb) — to trap someone or something so there is no escape
- circulate — to spread or be passed around among people
- absurdity — the quality of being wildly unreasonable or ridiculous
- parody — a humorous imitation that exaggerates something for comic effect
- farcical — resembling a farce; ridiculously incongruous
- persist — to continue to exist despite difficulty or opposition
Comprehension Check
Discussion
- The article notes the incident’s “surreal, almost farcical tone.” How does humor change the way we interpret a workplace safety incident?
- What responsibility, if any, does a company have to explain unusual incidents like this one to the public?
- Consider how quickly this story spread from an internal memo to international news. What does that suggest about how information travels inside and outside large companies today?
📣 Share This Lesson
A squirrel escaped from a package INSIDE a Meta office in Thailand — total chaos! Read today’s story and test your English. 🐿️ #ESL #EnglishLearning #immersionesl
Source: “Loose squirrel causes chaos inside Meta office in Thailand” by Ben Hooper, UPI (July 9, 2026).