A squirrel was put down by a vet after a two-day stampede (Representational Image)
According to media reports, a “psycho” squirrel went crazy over Christmas in the UK town of Buckley, injuring 18 people in just two days, before being put down by a vet.
The Beast nicknamed itself Stripe after the vicious character in the film Gremlins. The BBC reported that gray squirrels began attacking people over a two-day period in Buckley, Flintshire, last week.
This was much to the dismay of Corinne Reynolds, who had fed it since March, saying it was a “frequent and friendly visitor” to her garden.
Stripe initially came to steal the bird’s food and Reynolds said: “He’s been fine all those months, he’ll come and take a nut out of my hand.” But he said he fed it in his garden last week, and then saw reports of other bites and attacks on the city’s Facebook page.
She said: “After seeing all those pictures of people getting hurt, I thought ‘Oh my god, what’s happened to him? Reynolds said she knew something had to be done and thought “because I knew her, I knew I was likely to catch her”.
“I only left the trap near the area I’d normally feed on for 20 minutes, and that was in,” she said.
“I thought he trusted me, and I betrayed him.” “Warning, vicious squirrel that attacks,” wrote Nicola Crowther in the Buckley Residents Facebook group on December 26, along with a grainy photo of the beloved criminal on a fencepost. “Have bitten me, attacked my friend … and attacked many others.” “It has also attacked two of my Bengalis, who fear nothing, and my neighbours’ Bengal cats,” she said. “Don’t you dare step out of my house, because it’s lurking.
Another bite recipient, Sherry Davidson, told the South West News Service (SWNS) that she was taking out the recycling when the “Psycho” squirrel jumped on her from the back of the can and bit her arm.
“I have teeth marks on the top and bottom of my finger,” she lamented. “It felt right and I had to move it. He’s taken the top layer off my knuckles. His teeth are like pins.”
According to the SWNS report, the nut crater reportedly did not discriminate in its attacks, attacking the elderly, children and pets alike and biting them everywhere from head to toe.
The BBC reported that Stripe was captured by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals after Reynolds captured her and, after investigation, was euthanized by a vet.
A spokesperson said: “We were incredibly sad to see this squirrel put to sleep, but were left with no choice in 2019 due to a change in law that made it illegal to release gray squirrels back into the wild.
“We do not agree with and oppose this law, but legally we have to abide by it. There are many ways to humanely stop gray squirrels and we would urge people not to trap them because they are now in the wild. It is illegal to leave and the only option is to put them to sleep.”
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
click for more trending news
,