Many people in the area have reported “gruesome” injuries, including one young man who was chased along a road and parents keeping their young children and dogs indoors for their own safety.
After being terrorized by a rampaging squirrel, residents of a small Welsh village were forced to stay at home. At least 21 people were hurt.
The squirrel, described as a “psycho” by at least one of its victims, has attacked pensioners, children, and pets in Buckley, Flintshire, North Wales, resulting in 18 people being hurt in the span of 48 hours over the past weekend.
Many people in the area have reported “gruesome” injuries, including one young man who was chased along a road and parents hiding their young children and dogs indoors for their own safety.
“He’s not a friendly natured squirrel I am afraid,” one grandmother said. “He is a rogue one.”
One neighbour posted on social media: “Dare not go out if in my house, as it’s lurking.”
“That is one gangster squirrel,” commented another, grudgingly admiring the gangster squirrel.
More than a dozen people in the area had to get tetanus injections after being bitten and bleeding from cuts on their hands and heads.
18 people were injured over the Christmas period, bringing the total to 21.
Taking matters into her own hands on Monday, Dec. 27, 65-year-old Corinne Reynolds set a humane trap to end the terror.
However, the RSPCA acknowledged to the Telegraph on Tuesday that it had withdrawn the grey squirrel from Mrs Reynolds’ care and was required by law, which the charity stated “it did not agree with,” to put the animal to sleep.
It is currently against the law to release a captured grey squirrel into the wild or to retain one in captivity under current wildlife and environmental legislation.
According to the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, “any grey squirrel must be humanely destroyed.”
A spokesman for the RSPCA stated: “We were incredibly sad to have to put this squirrel to sleep but were left with no choice due to changes in legislation in 2019 making it illegal to release grey squirrels back into the wild. We do not agree with this law and opposed it, but legally we have to comply.
“There are numerous ways to humanely deter grey squirrels and we would urge people not to trap them as it is now illegal to release them into the wild and the only option is to put them to sleep.”
Mrs Reynolds had been feeding the animal since the summer, and it had been visiting her garden on a regular basis in search of food and shelter ever since.
However, after getting bitten on the hand herself, she saw many complaints of squirrel attacks on her local Facebook group.
“He has started attacking people who are just taking their recycling bags to the bin and they are quite gruesome injuries,” said Mrs Reynolds, who has seven children and nine grandchildren as well as a job as a home care provider.
“I am starting to wonder if he has got something going on inside his head like a tumour.
“The speed of it is frightening, he dashes from the roof of my garden shed to me – but when he does it to everyone else, he bites them.
“It has even bit an elderly person in the area. On one occasion it chased a lad down the road and then dad was left with a bloody cut on his head.
She added: “He is now attacking people for no reason whatsoever. The front tooth breaks the skin in a quite lethal way. I still have a scar on my finger.”
Mrs Reynolds explained that she had tried to contact the RSPCA but had received no response before contacting an out-of-hours veterinarian who agreed to transport the animal for $150, with contributions from neighbors.
Image Credit: Corinne Reynolds/SWNS
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