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Squirrels can cause their fair share of trouble, but they tend to be fairly harmless creatures that don’t require you to keep your head on a swivel. However, we’ve been treated to one very notable exception thanks to an animal that has residents of a town in California on high alert.
There are plenty of animals in California that you usually want to avoid crossing paths with. There have been a number of incidents concerning some particularly bold mountain lions over the past year, and people who take advantage of the many hiking trails The Golden State has to offer also need to keep an eye out for the bears and rattlesnakes that call it home.
As is the case with every state (aside from Hawaii), California also boasts a sizeable population of various species of squirrels. They do not usually fall under the “dangerous animal” umbrella, but one of those rodents is doing everything in its power to earn that label after orchestrating a string of attacks in an area where people now have their guard up.
A food-crazed squirrel has gone on a rampage and hospitalized multiple people in San Rafael, California
If you walked around San Rafael (a Bay Area town located north of San Francisco) this week, there’s a chance you’d come across some flyers warning you to keep an eye out for an “ATTACK SQUIRREL” that has understandably managed to cause a stir.
According to KGO, those postings were plastered up after five people were recently attacked by a squirrel with a “goldish color” that has emerged as Public Enemy No. 1 in the Lucas Valley area due to the nature of the brutal attacks that have forced two people to go to the emergency room to seek treatment for bites and claw marks that left them covered in blood.
Squirrels can contract rabies, but it tends to be a fairly rare occurrence (there is not a single documented instance of one transmitting the disease to a human). The outlet spoke to an employee at a wildlife hospital in San Rafael who theorized the squirrel was likely fed by humans when it was younger, noting a continued inability to land an easy meal could spark “frustrations” that result in the animals attacking people.
There has thankfully been a respite in recent days, but there’s always a chance the squirrel is trying to lull people into a false sense of security before returning with a vengeance.