Residents in a San Francisco Bay Area city are on high alert following a series of aggressive squirrel attacks, with at least two individuals requiring emergency medical treatment.
Joan Heblack recounted her terrifying encounter in San Rafael’s Lucas Valley neighbourhood, where a squirrel "came out of nowhere" to assault her leg. "It clamped onto my leg.
“The tail was flying up here. I was like, ‘Get it off me, get off me!’" she told ABC affiliate KGO-TV.
Another local, Isabel Campoy, reported a similar ordeal in the same vicinity. She described the squirrel launching itself from the ground towards her face before landing on her arm, leaving it bloodied.
Both women sought care at the emergency room, according to the TV station.
The community has since responded by posting flyers warning of a "very mean squirrel" that "comes out of nowhere," noting that more than five people have reportedly been targeted by the aggressive animal.
Lisa Bloch with Marin Humane says they have had no reports of squirrel attacks since mid-September. If the squirrel crops up again, the nonprofit will coordinate with the state to remove the animal, she said.
“We've seen this kind of behavior before,” she said. “It's almost always because someone has been feeding the animal.”
The good thing is that squirrels are not vectors for rabies. She says people should never feed wildlife.
San Rafael is in Marin County, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of San Francisco .
