By Tim Binnall
In a bizarre story out of Wales, a squirrel embarked on a wild reign of terror wherein a staggering 18 people wound up being bitten by the suddenly pugnacious creature over the course of just two days! The very strange incident reportedly occurred in the town of Buckley where resident Corrine Reynolds had taken to feeding a grey squirrel that visited her backyard. What began as a wholesome 'friendship' soon turned troubling when the animal nipped at her finger. Taking to a local Facebook group to warn others about the critter's aggressive behavior, Reynolds was stunned to find out that the squirrel had actually been tormenting the community and that "in the space of 48 hours, he attacked 18 people."
Testimonials from the confrontational creature's various victims soon filled the Facebook group with one resident recounting how "this squirrel came out of nowhere, jumped on to my arm and bit me on my hand before I even had chance to get it off – it all happened so quick." The unsettling encounter was echoed by another member of the community who lamented that "five or six of my neighbors" also had run-ins with Stripe and that, in her case, the animal latched onto her finger and "I had to shake it off." It would seem that the ornery rodent was not only targeting people as one individual indicated that the squirrel had gone after her two Bengal cats and that she was now afraid to leave her home for fear of crossing paths with the menacing creature.
Word of the squirrel tormenting the town soon reached local authorities, who dispatched a team to take the squirrel, which has been dubbed 'Stripe' after the villainous creature in Gremlins, into custody. After capturing the animal with a trap on Monday, workers with the RSPCA handed down the harshest penalty of all as they were forced to euthanize it, since it is illegal in Wales to release grey squirrels into the wild. "We were incredibly sad to have to put this squirrel to sleep, but were left with no choice," a spokesperson with the agency explained, "we do not agree with this law and opposed it, but legally we have to comply." While Stripe was likely refused a last meal, that may be for the best since it would probably have requested a human finger.