A squirrel known as the ‘attack squirrel’ has been causing distress among residents in a town in the United States.
In San Rafael, California, located about 80 miles from Sacramento, locals are concerned about a brown squirrel that has been aggressively attacking people. These attacks have resulted in multiple victims, with at least two individuals requiring emergency medical attention.
One of the victims, Joan Heblack, recounted her experience to KRON4, explaining, “I was just walking along, and suddenly, there’s a squirrel attached to my thigh. Just clomped down on my thigh. I look down and I was like ‘What is that?’ I said, ‘Get off, get off.’ I was trying to brush him off. He was just clinging more and biting.”
Marie Ayoob reported that her husband also had an encounter with what might be the same aggressive squirrel. According to her, her husband attempted to stop the squirrel from chewing their wooden fence when it suddenly “jumped on his head,” leaving him with a scratch.
In response to these attacks, residents have put up posters to alert the community about the rodent. The posters emphasize the seriousness of the situation with a warning: “This is not a joke,” describing the squirrel as “a very mean squirrel” that “comes out of nowhere,” with reports noting that “several have gone to the ER with severe lacerations.”
WildCare, a wildlife hospital and advocacy organization in Marin County, has issued a cautionary statement regarding the squirrel situation.
A spokesperson explained, “WildCare has received numerous calls about a squirrel attacking residents in the Lucas Valley neighborhood of San Rafael.” They further elaborated that the aggressive behavior might be due to the squirrel being raised by humans or hand-fed, leading to dependency and confusion about finding food independently. Squirrels are inherently timid creatures.
The statement continued, highlighting, “Especially right now, when the local tree squirrels are having their second brood of babies for the summer, it’s common for baby squirrels to end up on the ground. People sometimes find fallen baby squirrels, and decide to keep them and raise them themselves. There are many reasons doing this is a bad idea.” They advised against feeding wildlife and recommended bringing orphaned animals to WildCare for proper care to ensure they stay wild.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service offers a similar perspective on their website, noting that wild animals accustomed to human or pet food might grow comfortable in populated areas and eventually become aggressive, posing a risk to people.