By any standard, the words that Councillor Howard Brookins used to describe his local supersized squirrels, were not nice. They were an “aggressive” menace, he said, and the authorities were spending too much money replacing the lids of rubbish bins that the rodents were eating through.
Then, the squirrels struck back.
In what the the alderman for Chicago’s 21st ward described as an attack from a “suicide bomber, getting revenge”, Mr Brookins was sent flying from his bicycle by a squirrel that darted into his path and became entangled in the spokes.
The politician was spun over the handlebars and landed with such impact that he fractured his skull, broke his nose and lost a number of teeth.
“I can think of no other reason for this squirrel’s actions than that it was like a suicide bomber, getting revenge,” he told the Chicago Tribune.
Reports said squirrels were eating the garbage cart lids at a cost of $300,000 to the city. “It’s a pet peeve. It does invoke some giggles. But we are spending too much money on replacing garbage carts because the squirrels continue to eat through ’em,” Mr Brookins said at a city council meeting on October 21.
After the accident, Mr Brookins wrote on Facebook that he will undergo several surgeries “to recover from damage to my face and upper body”.
Meanwhile, the squirrel was killed in the encounter.
