If you missed this story over the holidays, buckle up. A so-called “bloodthirsty” squirrel terrorized a small village in Wales, biting over a dozen residents and making neighbors afraid to leave their own homes.
According to the The Guardian, a squirrel named Stripe — yes, after the antagonist in the Gremlins movie — left 18 residents covered in bite and scratch marks. The two-day terror spree happened in Buckley, North Wales.
Corrine Reynolds, who had been feeding Stripe before he woke up and chose violence, told the outlet, “His behavior over the last three days gave me cause for concern… I still think he had underlying issues like a tumor or growth because to change like that in a matter of days was not normal.”
Reynolds said Stripe dove at her one day and bit her as soon as he saw her. Then locals began posting on Facebook about being assaulted by the small, gray squirrel.
“In the space of 48 hours he attacked 18 people… they are quite gruesome injuries,” Reynolds said, noting residents said the rodent would run and jump on them to launch the combo teeth and claw attack. Reynolds said she knew she had to trap Stripe because “Those teeth could bite right through a child’s tiny finger.”
Once she successfully cornered the tiny beast after attracting him with his favorite snack of peanuts, Stripe was shipped out to the RSPCA and was humanely euthanized.