Squirrel Goes Postal On Postal Worker

[Raph's Girl]

A squirrel went beserk in western Pennsylvania, leaving a postal worker scratched, scraped and traumatized.

It happened Monday in Oil City, about 75 miles north of Pittsburgh. Barb Dougherty, who has worked for the Postal Service for three decades, was delivering mail along her route like she always does.
She was placing some letters in a mailbox, and turned around only to notice a squirrel making a b-line for her. The animal ran up her leg, crawled up her back, and started clawing away.

Dougherty somehow got a hold of the squirrel's tail, and pulled it off. A neighbor heard her screams and arrived to help.

Doughtery was treated at the hospital for her wounds, and was given a rabies shot just in case. Meanwhile, authorities located the squirrel, and killed it with a BB gun. The animal will undergo tests to see if it is indeed affected by rabies.

We have heard of dogs pursuing the mailman, but a squirrel? Has this ever happened before?

"In about 230 years of postal history, I bet it is not the first, but I've personally never heard of another squirrel biting," said Steve Kochersperger, spokesman for the Erie postal district.

Squirrels are actually quite docile animals. They are far more interested in gathering nuts for the winter, than finding people to munch on.

Could there be more Cujo-like rodents lurking around the corner?

"We are not issuing a squirrel alert," says Steve Jolley, a Postal Service manager in Oil City, "but everyone is aware of the incident."

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=local&id=4719586

Raph's Girl note: Remind me to never go to Oil City....:o

[Deathknight]

Wow, a squirrel owning a postal working... as much as I know I should feel sorry for her, I just can't help just laughing my ass off. Don't squirrels usually run from people?

[Jo Dawn]

She's... traumatized?


...Gimmee a break.

[iris]

I dunno, Jo, squirrels have really, really sharp claws. The squirrel I fostered used to freak me out because it would climb me to my head and get caught in my hair! They don't bite though.

Weird story. It sounds almost like the squirrel was hallucinating.

[愛]

I blame terrorists.

But yeah, that's some weird wild stuff. I always tell everyone not to go outside. They never believe me the outdoors is dangerous.

[Peanut]

Don't squirrels usually run from people?

My friend was actually chased by a squirrel one time on the way to school. The thing climbed up onto his arm and went to town on his hand. It was really brutal.


She's... traumatized?
...Gimmee a break.

It's not as crazy as it sounds. My afore mentioned friend is actually scared sh*tless of them now. He was completely paranoid of walking through the wooded area just beside our old high school grounds. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen him go through there since.

[KROW]

Good thing winter's coming. Male postal workers will have nice storage for their nuts, not to mention some extra protection.

I've never heard of a squirrel do something like this, though. It seems bizarre to me.

[Storm Wolf]

Good thing winter's coming. Male postal workers will have nice storage for their nuts, not to mention some extra protection.

I've never heard of a squirrel do something like this, though. It seems bizarre to me.

Hahah!


But seriously...the more interaction we have with wild animals...the less fear they have. That's why they always have that sign "Don't feed the bears"

When I live in Florida we used to go to a place called Jupiner Springs. Tons of people would visit the springs....so the squirrels would come right up to you and tug on your pants when they wated food.

Squirrels do have seriously sharp claws, too. My friend used to foster many of them after hurricane season... sometimes they'd climb up and down on you....boy did that hurt!

[Raph's Girl]

I believe it was last year when there were Black Squirrels in Russia eating stray dogs....so....now we have squirrels attacking postal workers in Pennsylvania.

I've been attacked by all sorts of animals crows, dogs, starlings, grasshoppers, Praying Mantis (a whole swarm of em)....Squirrels are irritating things but my cats have been attacked by em (danged things aint scared of anything).

ATM tho I can't go outside cuz of a swarm of Asian Ladybugs that have taken over the backyard...danged things are everywhere...and they DO bite. :o

[Katie]

squirrels are not the brightest things on the planet. I betcha this one was being chased by something and mistook the postal person for a tree or post or something.

either that or it was rabid. :ohwell:

[Jo Dawn]

I guess I don't get why people get traumatized by things like this. *shrugs* Heck, I was bit on the face by a dog when I was younger, right by my one eye... and I love them. Not scared of them at all.

I mean, I know people DO... I dunno... I'm just of the school, especially concerning animals, of 'it happens, get over it'. Especially since we're pretty much invading their space.

...maybe it's disgruntled.

[Raph's Girl]

I mean, I know people DO... I dunno... I'm just of the school, especially concerning animals, of 'it happens, get over it'. Especially since we're pretty much invading their space.


Ok I've been bitten by rats but Im not scared of em. I understood their situations. Umeko was being an over protective mother and Donnie was dying.

I've been bitten by dogs for no reason, bitten by cats for no reason (altho my kitten, Michelangelo, just simply overdoes it while playing).

I was attacked by crows for no reason at all. I wasn't anywhere near their nest. I was just walking to school and they attacked from a telephone wire. And on the way home passed that same area...well they had friends. :ohwell:

I've been attacked by bugs as well. It's hard mowing the lawn when you have grasshoppers attacking your feet (danged things were charging at me) and a swarm of baby praying mantis' circling your head (while the mother watched nearby....gods she was huge). :P

Im not scared of rats, dogs, or cats.... crows on the other hand....I even see one and I cringe and run. And I laugh whenever I see the local Seagulls attack em. Those Seagulls keep the pigeon and crow populations down around here. :lol:

[Stimor]

if someone would stab me in the face i would not just go "meh!" and get over it in a jiffy, it might be a little freaky

[Doppleganger]

Ok I've been bitten by rats but Im not scared of em. I understood their situations. Umeko was being an over protective mother and Donnie was dying.

I've been bitten by dogs for no reason, bitten by cats for no reason (altho my kitten, Michelangelo, just simply overdoes it while playing).

I was attacked by crows for no reason at all. I wasn't anywhere near their nest. I was just walking to school and they attacked from a telephone wire. And on the way home passed that same area...well they had friends. :ohwell:

I've been attacked by bugs as well. It's hard mowing the lawn when you have grasshoppers attacking your feet (danged things were charging at me) and a swarm of baby praying mantis' circling your head (while the mother watched nearby....gods she was huge). :P

Im not scared of rats, dogs, or cats.... crows on the other hand....I even see one and I cringe and run. And I laugh whenever I see the local Seagulls attack em. Those Seagulls keep the pigeon and crow populations down around here. :lol:

Not trying to be insulting Raph's Girl...but do you smell like food or have food on your person? I can't understand why you would be attacked by so many animals. Okay and the grasshoppers attacking your feet? :lol: Sorry. Couldn't...help myself. :D

[Hannah]

This is now the one and only reason why western PA doesn't suck.