(Newser)
– Residents of a Queens neighborhood are dealing with a squirrely threat, reports the AP. Residents of the Rego Park neighborhood in the New York district say an aggressive squirrel has jumped on them and has bitten them in recent weeks, WCBS reported on Wednesday. Micheline Frederick pointed to a bruise on her wrist, where she said the squirrel landed on it and sank its teeth into her fingers and hand. “We are fighting in the snow and there is blood everywhere and my fingers are being chewed and he will not let go,” said Frederick. “Eventually, it just stopped and there I was in a big bloody mess.”
A photo Frederick said she took after the attack shows a snow-covered path covered with blood. “It was an MMA fight in the cage! And I lost!” She added. Two other neighbors told WCBS that the squirrel had jumped on them, apparently without being provoked. “These squirrels are aggressively chasing people,” said Vinati Singh. The city’s Department of Health advised neighbors to hire a licensed hunter, but the large metal traps have not yet captured any squirrels. The reason for the aggressive behavior is not clear. Small rodents like squirrels rarely test positive for rabies and are not known for their transmission to humans, according to the CDC.
(Read more squirrel stories.)