Residents in an idyllic California town in the North Bay are living in fear of a hyper-aggressive squirrel.
What's happening?
ABC7 Eyewitness News reported in late September that a neighborhood in San Rafael was on the lookout for a squirrel that's gone, well, kind of nuts.
According to one account, the rascally rodent followed a resident on a morning walk and struck suddenly, attacking its victim's leg. The injuries were severe enough to merit a visit to the emergency room.
The squirrel struck again soon after. An aunt and her niece were at first amused by the sight of the squirrel following them — until it attacked.
"This is beautiful, now it's following us, until she almost killed me," Isabel Campoy told the outlet.
She described the terrifying incident of the squirrel going for her face and how she sustained injuries to her arm while protecting herself. She, too, had to visit the hospital for treatment. All told, the squirrel is suspected of attacks of at least five victims.
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Why are aggressive squirrels concerning?
The explanation local wildlife expert Vanessa Potter gave to ABC7 was fairly straightforward: The little miscreant was likely spoiled by humans when it was young.
Potter said that, if the squirrel was fed as a kitten, it would have seen humans as a source of food and could become ornery when humans don't cough up goodies.
"If they associate people with food, they're not afraid of them," Potter told ABC7. "They will look for food. If they don't get it, there can be frustrations. They can be territorial of their space."
What's being done about aggressive squirrels?
The strange story serves as a stark reminder that wild animals are wild, even in urban environments. They are not pets, and feeding them does much more harm than good in the long run for people and wildlife.
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Definitely 👍 As the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service cautions, feeding wild animals has numerous adverse effects, and animals that lose their fear of people are much more likely to attack.
The remedy is not only to refrain from feeding wild animals, but also to be proactive in preventing them from acquiring human food through preventive measures, such as bear-proofing garbage. Equally, it's crucial to make others aware of the harm this seemingly benevolent act of feeding can do.
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