Residents of San Rafael, a Bay Area city roughly 20 miles north of San Francisco in Marin County, are deeply concerned. An ongoing string of squirrel-related scare face-offs has already caused at least two people to take a trip to the ER. Those discouraging accounts came from the Lucas Valley community, where both victims crossed paths with the vicious creature during a neighborhood stroll.
Joan Heblack, one of its first victims, says the experience was terrifying. She described the weirdness of the encounter, with the squirrel attacking her without warning, scratching and biting her thigh. In a subsequent moment of panic, she yelled, “Get it off me, get off me!” Extricating herself, she continued to fight off the beast. Her experience serves to demonstrate the unprovoked and unpredictable nature of these attacks and has alarmed residents of Evansville, IN.
It’s an attack similar to one that Isabel Campoy reported from the same neighborhood. Not much is known about her experience. Like Heblack, she was surprised to run into the squirrel’s vicious attack on her stroll.
The shocking state of affairs was enough to get WildCare, a San Rafael-based wildlife rescue organization, involved. WildCare’s Vanessa Potter spoke with Squirrel Circus’ Vanessa about how you can think like a squirrel. She thinks that with its aggressive tendencies, it’s no surprise considering its upbringing as a baby. Once squirrels become accustomed to receiving food from humans they may begin to rely on them for sustenance as adults. This dependence on humans usually leads to a bad attitude when the squirrels are startled or hangry.
Potter elaborated on the peculiar situation, explaining that town’s residents have dubbed the offending squirrel as a “very aggressive squirrel.” Flyers that were posted around the community show this sentiment illustrating the animal’s urge to attack residents. As Potter describes it, this squirrel can regularly “appear out of nowhere,” surprising unsuspecting victims who are deep in thought or distracted.
The local ABC station tracked the spike in your emergency room visits after these assaults. So we were thrilled when they aired the story Monday. This press coverage has generated a national outcry to save the situation. It has warned residents to be cautious when walking in the Lucas Valley region.
Community members have to be vigilant. If they happen to encounter the aggressive squirrel in the area, it’s advisable to report this to local wildlife authorities. We want to inform the public and provide a better understanding of this magnificent animal’s behavior. In doing so, residents are able to go about their daily activities with less fear of harm.