911 Audio: Squirrel Rampages at Florida Senior Community

DELTONA, FL — Sharks, alligators, the occasional bear and stray monkeys tend to top the list of culprits involved in Florida wild animal attacks. Squirrels generally aren’t even a blip on the radar.

Don’t tell that to residents of Deltona’s Sterling Court senior-living community. It seems a squirrel on the edge created quite an uproar there on Thursday, leaving a string of injuries in its wake.

The feisty critter managed to get into the community’s activity room, according to 911 audio released by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. “It’s jumping on people and biting them and scratching them,” a woman told Volusia’s 911 dispatcher. “We need help.”

The woman told the dispatcher she had retreated to her office to make the call. As she did, the squirrel initially remained in the activity room where at least one woman was bleeding heavily. Someone in the building threw the squirrel back outside, the caller reported.

See also: Shark Attack Numbers Break Record in 2015

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office reports that its deputies did not respond to the scene. Paramedics, however, did. At least three people were reportedly injured and bleeding after the squirrel close encounter, several media outlets reported. Those injured in the unusual attack were doing fine by Thursday night, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Florida gets a fair bit of press related to its unusual animal encounters. The Sunshine State leads the nation and the world in the number of unprovoked shark attacks. In 2015, there were 30 confirmed unprovoked attacks, according to the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida. Run-ins with alligators are somewhat common, but a few recent fatalities involving the reptiles run contrary to the norm. Run-ins with black bears had become so frequent over the past few years, the state allowed a limited permit hunt in 2015 but took that option off the table in 2016.

See also: Hudson Beach Rhesus Macaque Sightings Prompt Plea

As for monkeys, Florida’s famous “Mystery Monkey” catapulted the state into national and international news a few years back. The little rhesus macaque reportedly attacked a woman in Pinellas County over the course of its years on the run. The state has a new monkey on the lam at present. Also a rhesus macaque, sightings of it have prompted warnings from Florida wildlife officials.

Florida is home to a hefty population of bushy-tailed eastern gray squirrels, according to the state. The critters are found almost everywhere and tend to gravitate toward oak and hickory trees. Just why this one went on the offensive remains a mystery.

Image by likeaduck via Flickr