[ And... talkative, Alhaitham is. Strangely enough. ]

Friendly squirrels isn't that much of a stretch. There are claw marks around and the size is about right, so perhaps they don't have many natural predators around here. A symbiotic relationship with local wildlife seeking shelter in this tree would benefit them, if they're intelligent enough creatures. Which they could very well be if they were also intelligent enough to create stairs.

[ This is probably more words than he says in his usual morning around the apartment. ]