Buzz
With their wide eyes and fluffy tails, it's easy to overlook the fact that squirrels are part of the rodent family. Some people even fantasize about adopting them as pets.
But squirrels have a hidden side. Under certain conditions, they can turn quite aggressive and dangerous. They are everywhere—perched in trees, darting past us, and lurking in plain sight. These 10 stories reveal what happens when squirrels decide to strike.
10. When You Offer a Squirrel a Cookie
Leaving food unattended is never a good idea. In January 2018, a New York City resident probably expected to find ants or cockroaches feasting on the leftover Christmas cookies she had left out overnight. What she didn't expect was a squirrel, energized by the sugar, who became so aggressive it blocked the door, preventing her from leaving her apartment.
At one point, the squirrel leaped onto the kitchen radio and blasted music at full volume. The woman had no choice but to call the NYPD for help. They surely didn’t expect the squirrel to jump from the ceiling, bounce off the counter, and charge at one of the officers.
The squirrel landed on the officer’s arm as loud rock music blared in the background. Then, it scurried all over the apartment, wreaking havoc. Eventually, the officer managed to pull it out from behind the stove. Despite it biting his gloved hands, the policeman was able to set the squirrel free in the wild.
9. Hangry Little Trouble-Makers
Squirrels are a common sight on college campuses, thanks to the abundance of trees and food scraps left by students eating outdoors or between classes. However, if these furry creatures ever decided to turn hostile, there's no better place for them to cause chaos than at the very schools where they gather in large numbers.
This is precisely what occurred in 2017 at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis. Across the campus, numerous reports surfaced of squirrels charging at students and biting their ankles as they passed by during the summer semester.
The university’s website began issuing public service announcements to inform students not to treat squirrels like pets by feeding them. It turns out that when squirrels get accustomed to receiving food from humans, they become dependent and stop hunting for themselves. Once food sources dry up, like during summer break, they turn aggressive whenever they spot a human.
8. The Big Apple Under Attack
There’s a known pattern that terrorists tend to target major cities for attacks, and it seems that even rodents follow this logic when seeking new victims. It was a warm July weekend in 2017 at Prospect Park in New York City. Over the course of the weekend, a squirrel attacked several people, with five incidents reported to the authorities.
There were concerns that the squirrel might be rabid. Local authorities took action by posting warning signs around the park in several languages. They advised anyone who had been bitten by a squirrel to seek medical attention immediately in case they had contracted rabies.
The media interviewed locals to find out if they were worried about squirrel attacks, and most of them shrugged it off. One person even joked that his dog could easily fend off any squirrel. Little did he know, not even dogs are safe from the fury of a squirrel.
7. Zombie Squirrels
It’s common for dogs to bark at squirrels. Just their presence is enough to drive a dog crazy. However, squirrels don't appreciate being taunted in another animal’s language. In 2005, a stray dog was barking at a group of black squirrels in the small village of Lazo in Russia.
As the dog neared their tree, several squirrels pounced down and began attacking it. Three local men witnessed the horrific scene, describing how the squirrels tore into the dog and ate it alive. The men rushed toward the commotion to try to save the dog, but when the squirrels saw them, they fled, carrying chunks of flesh in their mouths.
Local authorities and scientists were puzzled by the incident, calling it “absurd.” Without multiple witnesses to back up the claims, it might have been dismissed as just another wild story. The only plausible explanation they could offer was a pine cone shortage, which left the animals with insufficient food.
6. Targeting the Vulnerable
In the wild, lions often target the weak and elderly because they are easier to overpower. It seems squirrels share this tactic. In 2016, a squirrel launched an attack on a Florida retirement home.
A squirrel charged through the front door of the Volusia senior home and made a beeline for the activity room, where several elderly residents were quietly playing chess, solving puzzles, and reading. The squirrel began leaping on people, biting them, and scratching with its claws.
Those who could still move fled the room, screaming, while some immobile residents were trapped with no way to escape. A courageous person managed to grab the squirrel and throw it outside. By the end of the attack, several people were bleeding and had to call 911 for medical assistance and a rabies vaccine.
5. Squirrel Serial Killers
In 2014, Jessica Haines, a Canadian biologist from the University of Alberta, was observing the behavior of wild red squirrels. She became the first scientist to uncover that red squirrels sometimes engage in “sexually selected infanticide.” This behavior is typically seen in species that practice polygamy.
Red squirrels have a remarkably short gestation period of just 38 days. This means a female may have multiple litters within the same season. If a male fathers one litter, another male may mate with her shortly after, ensuring the possibility of multiple fathers for the same female.
Squirrels are generally peaceful, but in this case, one male grew intensely jealous. When his mate gave birth to a second litter, he killed the newborns of his rival. This tactic was likely aimed at increasing his chances of passing on his genes, as stronger offspring could improve his opportunities to mate again in the future.
He might continue the infanticide if it helps him achieve his goals. However, this is an unusual behavior for a squirrel. Since there was no shortage of female mates, scientists were left baffled as to why he engaged in such actions.
Haines studied the squirrels for such a long time and collected so many DNA samples from the same colony that she was able to identify the culprit. She kept a close watch to see if he would strike again.
4. Granddad To The Rescue
In Knutsford, England, a squirrel went on a brutal rampage and attacked several people in the area. It charged toward a two-year-old girl named Kelsi Morley, who, like most toddlers, thought it was cute and was excited it had come so close to her.
She crouched down to get a better look, and the squirrel bit her on the face. The little girl began screaming in pain. Her mother rushed to help, but the rodent’s fangs remained stuck in Kelsi’s forehead. The mother had to hold her daughter down and forcefully pull the squirrel off as it refused to let go.
Bleeding and likely scarred for life, Kelsi was quickly rushed for medical treatment. They contacted the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) for help. However, the RSPCA declined, stating they only assist injured animals, not humans.
Kelsi’s grandfather had heard enough. Determined to prevent the squirrel from terrorizing anyone else, he tracked down the vicious creature and shot it with his gun.
3. Pet Squirrel Foils Robbery
A man named Adam Pearl from Meridian, Idaho, had an unusual pet: a squirrel named Joey. For as long as Joey lived with Adam, they were inseparable. Even though Adam was away for a few days, he made sure to leave plenty of food and water for Joey.
While Adam was gone, a burglar broke into the house. He grabbed some easy valuables and went to open the gun safe in the bedroom. Joey, sensing the intruder’s bad intentions, sprang into action, attacking him with scratches and bites until the burglar fled the scene.
There was enough evidence for the police to apprehend the burglar, who then confessed to the crime. Adam Pearl got his stolen items back, and Joey was rewarded with some malt candy for his heroic actions.
2. Playing Chicken
Squirrels dart across roads right in front of cars so frequently that it makes you wonder if they’re thrill-seekers or deliberately trying to cause accidents. This scenario was even turned into a GEICO commercial where the squirrels high-five each other after causing a crash.
In 2015, a squirrel triggered a multi-car pileup when it dashed across the Island Highway in Nanaimo, British Columbia. A 53-year-old man slammed on his brakes, but a commercial food truck collided with him from behind. Two more pickup trucks crashed shortly after.
The entire highway had to be closed during rush hour to clear the wreckage. Fortunately, none of the drivers or passengers suffered any injuries.
1. Squirrel Terrorizes Town
The day after Thanksgiving in Novato, California, 87-year-old Richard Williams had his garage door open while he was going about some chores. A squirrel charged at him with full force, leaping onto his body and clawing and biting him viciously.
Williams fought with the squirrel, trying to push it off, but it sank its teeth into his arm, fingers, and legs, causing him to bleed heavily. He screamed for help, and his wife rushed over. She grabbed a broom and swatted at the squirrel, but this only seemed to enrage it further, and it leaped onto her. In a desperate move, Williams grabbed the animal by its tail and slammed it to the concrete.
It was later discovered that the same squirrel had attacked five other people in Novato over the span of two weeks. Local authorities believe it was the same animal. All the victims were given rabies vaccinations.
