* Electricity flows in a circuit: For electricity to flow, it needs a complete circuit. Think of it like a closed loop.
* A squirrel on one wire is not completing the circuit: The squirrel provides no path for the electricity to flow *through* it.
* Contact with two wires creates the danger: If the squirrel touches two wires simultaneously, or a wire and the ground, it completes the circuit. Electricity will then flow through the squirrel, causing a severe shock or electrocution.
Think of it like this:
* Imagine a wire as a garden hose with water flowing through it.
* The water (electricity) will only flow if there is a path for it to travel from the hose (wire) to the ground.
* A squirrel on one wire is like a small animal on a garden hose – they don't interrupt the water flow.
* But if the squirrel touches another wire, or the ground, it creates a path for the water (electricity) to flow through them.
So, while it's common to see squirrels running along power lines, it's the potential for them to create a circuit that makes it dangerous, not the simple act of being on a single wire.