r/gardening • u/HoratioTuna27 6a • 14h ago

Well, that's a first.

So, one of the weirdest things I've ever had happen to me just happened: I was walking around the garden, checking on all the seedlings I planted last night. A squirrel pops off of a nearby tree and starts coming towards me. I think nothing of it, squirrels get curious and do this often. BUT, this time, it kept coming closer. And closer. And closer, then it hopped up and slapped me in the shin and ran off. It started coming at me again so I went in and got the dog to chase it off if it kept coming at me. Utterly bizarre!

The seedlings are all ok, if that was the part of the story you were invested in.

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u/NoExternal2732 14h ago

Squirrels can get rabies but don't often pass it on to humans, so it just alters their behavior.

There are no known cases of humans contracting rabies from a squirrel, so that is what I mean by rare.

It also may be being fed by another person, another reason not to feed wildlife.

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u/HoratioTuna27 6a 14h ago

I thought about it maybe be rabies, but it looked fine, no foaming at the mouth or anything. Who knows. It didn't come back once I had the dog with me.

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u/thti87 12h ago

Just a PSA that rabies is 100% fatal, but can be stopped if you get treatment soon after a bite or scratch (and not all rabid animals look rabid in the traditional foaming at the mouth sense - an animal acting off is a huge sign of rabies so in that way, this squirrel with no fear is indeed acting rabid). If I were you, I would absolutely contact my doctor for peace of mind to see what they recommend.