This story is just nuts!
A squirrel in Flintshire, UK, was eventually captured and put down by authorities after it had gone on a rampage injuring 18 people!
According to the BBC, the savage rodent earned itself the nickname “Stripe” after the vicious character in the film Gremlins.
It started attacking people in Buckley, Flintshire, last week over a two-day period. This was much to the distress of Corinne Reynolds, 65, who had fed it since March and said it was a “frequent and friendly visitor” to her garden.
Stripe initially came to steal bird food, but Mrs. Reynolds said, “All those months he’s been fine, he would even come and take a nut out of my hand.”
But she said he bit her last week as she fed him in her garden, and then she saw reports of other bites and attacks in the town Facebook page.
She added, “After I saw all those pictures of people’s injuries, I thought ‘oh my goodness, what’s happened to him’?”
Mrs. Reynolds said she knew something had to be done and thought, “because I knew him, I knew I was likely to catch him.”
“I only left the trap near the area I normally feed him for 20 minutes, and he was in,” she added.
“I felt he did trust me, and I betrayed him.”
Mrs. Reynolds often takes in injured birds such as seagulls or corvids until they can be released, describing herself as an animal lover. She said, “My garden is like a bird sanctuary. But I know I did the right thing. I have a two-year-old grandson. If he’d been bitten on the finger, he could have lost it.”
A woman who lives in the same area reported being attacked as she was taking in her recycling boxes. Another recounted on social media how she had to have a tetanus jab after being bitten by Stripe.
The RSPCA took Stripe in following his capture by Mrs. Reynolds and, after examination, he was euthanized by a local vet.
A spokesman said, “We were incredibly sad to have to put this squirrel to sleep but were left with no choice due to changes in legislation in 2019 making it illegal to release grey squirrels back into the wild.”
“We do not agree with this law and opposed it, but legally we have to comply. There are numerous ways to humanely deter grey squirrels, and we would urge people not to trap them as it is now illegal to release them into the wild, and the only option is to put them to sleep.”
“I used to call him Little Buddy every time I saw him in the garden,” said Mrs. Reynolds.
“But after all this started happening, that’s when I changed it to Stripe.
“I feel sad the squirrel has lost his life, but there was nothing else I could do. The damage he caused was unbelievable.”
i Wonder if he was Rabid,i feed squirrels too now im unsure.
Squirrels are vulnerable to rabies, but according to all the literature I’ve ever read, they don’t transmit it.
Rabies is transmitted by carnivores and omnivores, not animals like squirrels, which eat only fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains and other non-animal products. Bats are the number-one carrier, at least in the U.S. Other carriers include raccoons, foxes and skunks.
I FEED THE SQUIRRELS EVERY DAY I GET QUITE A FEW THING IS THEY ARE NOT PETS AND PEOPLE CONTINUE TO TRY TO MAKE THEM THEIR PETS THEY SHOULD NOT BE FEEDING OUT OF YOUR HAND FEEL SORRY FOR THE SQUIRREL THEY COULD HAVE KEPT HIM UNDER SURVELLIENCE OR PUT IT OUT IN A LOC WHERE THERE WERE NO PEOPLE PRETTY SURE IF A PERSON BIT ANOTHER PERSON THEY WOULD NOT EUTHANIZE IT TO QUICK TO PUT ANIMALS DOWN IVE BEEN FEEDING FOR YEARS AS I FEED THE BIRDS THE DEER WHO EVERNEEDS FEEDING BUT DONT GET TO CLOSE THEY KNOW WHO FEEDS THEM AND WILL TAKE OFF IF YOU GET TO CLOSE