‘Attack squirrel’ sends California residents to ER after random attacks

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A squirrel in San Rafael, California, has bitten several people, sending two of them to the hospital for treatment.

I’ve been hearing some crazy things are happening around Lucas Valley! Apparently, there have been at least five reports of the same squirrel – a gold-brown one – acting really strangely. Wildlife experts have looked into it, and while its behavior is definitely weird, they don’t think it has rabies, which is a relief!

Joan Heblack said she was on her regular morning walk when a squirrel suddenly attacked, scratching her leg and causing it to bleed.

It latched onto my leg, and its tail was whipping around. I yelled at someone to remove it, I didn’t want to touch it at all, she explained.

Isabel Campoy described how the animal jumped at her face and bit her arm before releasing its grip. She said she was covered in blood after the attack.

Isabel explained that a squirrel suddenly jumped from the floor towards her face. She tried to shield herself, but the squirrel completely covered her arm. After it finally jumped off, she realized she was bleeding and immediately went to the emergency room.

Officials warn against feeding wildlife

WildCare, a local group that helps wildlife, is asking people not to feed squirrels or other wild animals. They say feeding them can make the animals lose their natural caution around people, which could create risky situations.

According to WildCare’s Vanessa Potter, animals are less likely to fear people if they associate them with food. They’ll actively search for it, and if they don’t find any, they can become upset. They may also defend their territory.

In August, videos of deer appearing sick with a virus sparked fear online, following similar viral posts about strangely behaving rabbits and squirrels.

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2025-09-23 21:50