NEW YORK (WCBS-TV) – Some people living in a Queens neighborhood are afraid to leave their homes. This is because there have been several aggressive squirrel attacks over the past few weeks, Hazel Sanchez, WCBS-TV, reported on Tuesday.
Micheline Frederick is still bruised. Her bite wounds healed after she was attacked by a squirrel a week ago. ‘You hear someone was bitten by a squirrel, you’re like’ Okay, you have a small pen tip, what’s the matter? ‘But it was … it was an MMA cage match! And I lost! Frederick said.
She said the squirrel, completely unconscious, was chasing her as she stood on 65th Drive on the front porch of her home in Rego Park. She shared graphic photos of the aftermath.
(Photo: Micheline Frederick))
“We’re struggling in the snow and there’s blood everywhere and my fingers are chewing and it will not loosen,” Frederick said. “Eventually it just stopped and there I was a big bloody mess.”
A security camera image shows the squirrel clamped to her left hand. Several of Frederick’s neighbors were also terrorized by the angry rodent, including the family of Vinati Singh. They were picking up the squirrel in their mailbox when it struck.
“These squirrels are aggressively chasing people,” Singh said.
She said one had chased her husband twice already.
‘He basically grabbed my plastic bag and tried to climb on my leg. I could shake them off. It was the first time. “The second time was here when I tried to enter,” he said.
Last week, Licia Wang said she was walking to her home on 65th Drive, when a squirrel jumped on her back and bit her arm.
(Photo: Micheline Frederick)
“I screamed! Crazy! “Wang said.
The victims said they called the city for help. The health department said they were advised to rent a trap they have, but so far the traps remain empty.
The Centers for Disease Control says that rodents like squirrels almost never have rabies. So there are a lot of people living in the area, not knowing what causes the aggressive behavior of the squirrels.
“I’m a little surprised that the city doesn’t take it a little more seriously, given how many people have been attacked,” Singh said.
She said she was still being treated as a precaution for rabies. It’s a good reminder that although squirrels are cute, they are still wild animals.
Hazel Sanchez of CBS2 contributed to this report
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