Residents of a town in the San Francisco Bay Area are on high alert after an aggressive squirrel sent at least two people to the emergency room for treatment.
Joan Heblack told ABC she was walking in the Lucas Valley neighborhood of San Rafael when a squirrel suddenly appeared and attacked her, biting and scratching her leg.
“It grabbed onto my leg. Its tail was flying up. I was screaming, ‘Get it off, get it off!’” she said.
Another victim, Isabel Campoy, was also attacked while walking in the same area. She said the squirrel leapt toward her face before landing on her arm and scratching it until it bled.
Both women had to seek emergency medical care, the television station reported Monday.
In response, residents have posted warning flyers about the “rogue” squirrel, saying it’s no joke. More than five people are believed to have been attacked by the same animal, which appears suddenly and acts aggressively.
Lisa Bloch of the animal welfare group Marin Humane said no new reports of attacks have been received since mid-September. She added that if the squirrel resurfaces, the organization will work with state authorities to capture and relocate it.
“We’ve seen this kind of behavior before,” she explained. “It almost always happens because people are feeding the wild animals.”
Bloch stressed that squirrels are not carriers of rabies but reminded the public not to feed wildlife.
San Rafael is in Marin County, about 32 kilometers (20 miles) north of San Francisco.
