Grandad Kills Mad Rodent
By Hayley Birch
I’m always a bit wary about animal stories. Do they really count as science? Certainly the misadventures of animals didn’t feature heavily in my biology degree.But then, when I stumble upon a headline that says “Squirrel goes on rampage, injures three”, something speaks to the Null in me.
You see, what sets this story apart, is that it’s not just about a squirrel who’s travelled three zillion miles or learned to whistle; it’s not cute and cuddly science. This squirrel is wickedness personified, or, ahem, animalified. What appeals to me about this story is the easily inferred battle between good and evil; what happens when man (a 72-year-old pensioner) and beast (the evil, rampaging squirrel) come to blows.
The squirrel, which had already savaged a construction worker and injured an old lady by sinking its teeth into her hand, was on a death wish when it entered the German’s garden. Having launched its final and most vicious attack, it was swiftly dispatched with when the pensioner decided to fight back. So, if you arm a 72-year-old pensioner with a crutch, it seems, goodness prevails.
A “spokesman” (don’t ask me for who – the squirrel?) said the attack could have been as a result of the mating season or an illness.
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Image: Maria Corcacas
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