There is no doubt that squirrels are adorable and unique pets to have around. Even then, people encourage these bushy-tailed critters to be in their yard. But do squirrels attack humans?
Most of the time, we don’t mind having squirrels around because we love and appreciate them for various reasons. But we hear of cases where these creatures attack and inflict wounds on pets. Are they also dangerous to humans?
I encourage you to read this article, and you will get a lot of exciting information about whether squirrels can bite you or not and a lot more. You will appreciate reading it.
Contents
Can Squirrels Be Aggressive?
Although squirrels make good pets, the truth is they are naturally wild animals, and this makes them unpredictable. For instance, if a squirrel is startled, or protecting its babies, be sure it can attack.
Squirrels can become aggressive, and some species tend to be notoriously aggressive than others. Food is the primary driving force for the squirrels to be angry about humans. After all, it’s because of the food that these little creatures visit your yard.
Also, these animals are highly territorial and noisy. They mark their territory with urine and through tail waving displays. In the case of intruders, squirrels make harsh vocals and exhibit intense aggressive behavior.
A mother squirrel becomes exceptionally aggressive when she thinks her babies are in danger. It is a caring mother’s nature to protect her children, even for humans. The aggressive mother squirrel will then attack and bite any invader.
How Dangerous Is an Aggressive Squirrel?
With their cute name, fluffy tail, and cheerful personalities, squirrels attract many enthusiasts and don’t seem dangerous. Many people adore them and are happy about their presence in the yard. Though, news trend now and then about squirrel’s attacks.
That is to show that, no matter how charming we find these cute critters, we should handle them with caution, especially in their aggressive state. I’m sure squirrel attacks on humans aren’t something new to many people.
Some are victims of these attacks, while others hear them as stories. Whichever the case gives you the actual make-up of squirrels. An aggressive squirrel can attack and bite pets, and humans gravely enough to cause injuries.
Usually, squirrels will take a flight or fight when under threats. If they don’t find a space to escape, they may go on the offensive.
A sick squirrel tends to be more aggressive and becomes typically hostile to human beings.
When a diseased squirrel bites you or your pet, there is a possibility that it can transmit diseases like rabies, though this is uncommon. Squirrel bites or scratches can be dangerous, depending on their severity.
Do Squirrels Attack Humans?
It is pretty rare for squirrels to attack people; however, that doesn’t mean it is impossible. There are reports about squirrels attacking and biting human beings, dangerously enough to cause acute injuries.
Squirrels are scavengers and will not hesitate to reach for food where it is available. Their inquisitive nature allows them to follow the scent of food curiously, and more often, this lands them to humans.
Squirrels and humans will not miss crossing paths with each other as long as there is food. And this way, you will even see wild squirrels visiting your yard and may even break into the attic and build their nest.
Taming squirrels are becoming popular day in, day out and the squirrels’ immense appetite for food spurs them on getting closer to humans. In most cases, when wild squirrels get used to you, they will even entertain hand feeding.
They come closer enough to get the food from the hand but scamper away before you can touch them. Despite giving them food, squirrels still consider you a predator, thus needing to proceed with caution.
If you are quick enough to grab the squirrel, know there is a good chance for you to receive a scratch or bite. If a squirrel is unable to escape, then it has to fight back for self-defence.
In Which Cases Squirrels Would Attack You?
Only a few wildlife species are trusting enough to approach or get closer to human beings. However, squirrels are typically friendly, and they can comfortably live in peoples’ homes, particularly in attics.
These critters are becoming social rodents to humans, and some will eat directly from a person’s palm. Moreover, squirrels are affectionate and can show this through licking and nibbling you, impressive, right?
But things are not always the way they seem, and so do squirrels. A squirrel you know to be your best friend can turn to be an enemy when angry. This happens suddenly when the squirrel gets angry.
Several occasions can encourage squirrels to become aggressive and will eventually run away or defend themselves. Let’s see the situations where a squirrel can attack you.
Case #1: You are a Predator
The first likely reason for a squirrel to attack you is the danger. Squirrels usually don’t spare any potential predator, they may escape, but they fight back if unable to take a flight.
We are giant creatures, and this makes squirrels see us as predators. That is why a squirrel will take even years before it is brave enough to befriend you.
A squirrel mother is exceedingly protective over her babies and will try any means possible to keep them safe from any intruder.
Case #2: The Squirrel Feels Threatened
Squirrels are social and friendly creatures, but this is not the same throughout, especially when around other animal species, including humans. A squirrel can be scared of many things, and sometimes we are also a threat to them.
A squirrel that feels extremely threatened will exhibit a vertical tail that whips back and forth to look big and fearsome. When you see this, find the means to protect yourself or be ready for a bite.
A threatened squirrel, mainly when it feels cornered, will eventually attack. A cornered squirrel is no more different from an aggressive wild beast.
Case #3: Territory Protection
If you see a squirrel jumping on you, you are probably close to its habitat, and this causes panic within the animal. It has to defend itself, and in such a situation, you can get a severe bite or scratch.
Squirrels are highly territorial and will not tolerate any invader to their nests. They become extremely noisy, and the next thing here is to attack.
Can Squirrels Kill You?
No person would dare screw with wild animals because we all know them; they are dangerous and can kill you. Who would wake up and run to give a hug to an untamed elephant?
The elephant is likely going to stomp you into a metallic pancake. That makes it even challenging to approach these wild animals. It’s clear that squirrels have the instinct to defend themselves in threatening situations, but can they kill you?
One squirrel would not scare you much, but remember that there is strength in teamwork. It is not unheard of that a horde of squirrels literally tore a dog into shreds after descending upon it.
If they can rip up the dog into shreds, what would they not do to you? That is one great sound warning that we should stay the hell away from angry, hungry wild squirrels.
Squirrels may or may not kill you; majorly, they cause pretty serious injuries. For instance, you will notice blood and bruises from a victim of squirrels’ attacks. A pack of overly aggressive squirrels working together is tremendously dangerous and alarming.
How Bad is Squirrel Bite?
You can tell how strong and sharp a squirrel’s teeth can be through their ability to chew on plastic, rubber, wood, and even metal. If they can do this, how painful can their bite be to humans?
The truth is squirrels’ bites are exceedingly painful, and they tend to draw blood. But in most cases, people view them as mild bites and don’t usually go for medication. That’s why it’s also difficult to get statistics of squirrel attacks victims.
If a squirrel bites you, you need to clean the wound and ward off infection. However, squirrels can transmit various infections to humans through biting, although it’s quite rare. In case of any sign of infection, seek a doctor’s help.
In most cases, you shouldn’t worry about a squirrel bite and generally do not need antibiotics. But you should check your wound for swelling and redness as these are signs of an infection. Squirrel bites are severe if there is an infection.
Don’t Try to Touch Wild Squirrels! Even if You Feed Them Every Day
Unlike many wildlife, squirrels are trusting enough to associate with people. They are brilliant creatures and adjust well to living amongst human beings. Squirrels have potent memories. They will remember you after they interact with you.
Feeding these rodents for a long time spurs them to show you affection and become dependent on you for food. But no matter how great friends you become, touching a squirrel isn’t encouraged.
It’s undoubtful that squirrels can remember humans. I believe you would genuinely appreciate seeing your animal remembering you, right? Even persons that feed wild squirrels are happy to see that these critters can recognize them.
Sometimes, some people post a cute photo that they “contact” with backyard squirrels. But even if you feed them daily, these are wild squirrels and still haven’t been tamed yet. Please don’t touch them at all.
Wrapping Up
If you happen to spot an aggressive squirrel, the best thing to do is keep a distance.
I don’t deny that these cute, bushy-tailed animals are charming, but we need to be careful with them.
Even after taming squirrels, remember these are wild animals, and thus, we have to live carefully with them.
A squirrel can bite you if it is provoked and may eventually cause severe injuries.
The article explains that squirrels can attack humans if they feel threatened or protect their territory and babies.
Now, this marks the end of the article, and I hope it has answered your questions.
