Last year, multiple people were bitten by what residents described as an aggressive squirrel, sending at least two people to the emergency room and prompting warning flyers throughout the neighborhood. Wildlife experts later told Patch the squirrel had likely been raised or regularly fed by humans, causing it to lose its natural fear of people.
While squirrel attacks on people are uncommon, California ground squirrels are more adaptable than once believed. A UC Davis study published last year found the animals can behave as opportunistic omnivores, hunting and eating small rodents when food is abundant — a discovery researchers said highlights how flexible their behavior can be.