At a time when most squirrels in New York City are gathering nuts, one angry critter was going nuts.
At least three residents in the New York City borough of Queens have been “jumped upon and bitten” by the squirrel, which has area residents afraid to walk outside, according to The Guardian U.S.
“A few people are quite scared,” Micheline Frederick, a local resident, tells the website. Frederick was a victim of the deranged rodent in a bloody attack in December, while she was holding her front door open for furniture movers.
“Suddenly the squirrel ran up my leg and I thought ‘it’s a small rodent, how bad could this be’, so I stood completely still and they next thing I knew the blood started to fly. It was a wrestling match that got very bloody very quickly,” Frederick said.
It’s unclear what has prompted the the squirrel’s unusual behavior, but the animals can act atypically if suffering from disease or become overly used to being fed by people.
City officials said they had advised the hiring of a licensed trapper to apprehend the squirrel.
In the meantime, Frederick refuses to live in fear of the squirrel. “I came out of the house with a shovel after the first few days, but now I think ‘I have the vaccine, I’m wearing heavy gloves, bring it on,’” she says.