This squirrel comes with a cautionary tale.
Experts said the Prospect Park squirrel that terrorized and bit at least five park visitors this month is a prime example of why New Yorkers should resist the urge to feed their furry neighbors.
The squirrel has not been seen since attacking several people, including a jogger and a young girl. But if it was carrying rabies, city officials believe it is probably dead.
“Finding positive rabid animals in the city is rare but you should not invite any contact with wildlife,” said Bobby Horvath, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator who is also a city firefighter.
It wasn’t clear whether any of the people who were bit had tried to feed the animal but Horvath said it’s a good reminder to always admire wildlife from a distance.
“History shows feeding wildlife usually doesn’t end up well for the animal despite good intentions,” he said.
It’s not unusual to see people hand-feeding squirrels in parks around the city. Raccoons in Central Park have become so accustomed to people, the normally shy animals are known to come out of the shadows expecting morsels from passersby.
Signs posted this weekend around Prospect Park warned visitors about the aggressive squirrel.
Authorities believe the same animal bit five people between July 18 and 20. The city is asking anyone who was bitten by any squirrel near the Parkside Avenue entrance since July 10 to seek rabies treatment at a local emergency room.
Dog owners as well were advised to go to their veterinarians if their pooch had a run in with a squirrel in the park.
No rabid animals have been found in Prospect Park or Brooklyn this year and city Health Department officials pointed out the state has not found a squirrel with rabies since it started surveillance in 1992.
And there are no known cases in the United States of squirrels passing rabies to a person.
The agency said it receives about 70 reports of squirrel bites every year – usually due to someone trying to feed the animal.
Brooklyn-based animal rescuer Sean Casey said he wouldn’t be surprised to find out the squirrel had been hand-raised by a person who then released it into the park.
“When that happens they lose their inhibitions,” Casey said. “They are wild but they are not necessarily scared of people — that’s not good for anyone.”
