Squirrel `Arrested` In Germany After Chasing Woman

Squirrel ‘Arrested’ In Germany After Chasing Woman
Police in Germany took a squirrel into custody after it chased a woman, but the reason for the chase may surprise
you.
Marylou Zarbock
Posted: July 20, 2015, 3:25 p.m. EDT
Via Polizei NRW Recklinghausen
The "stalker" squirrel after his "arrest."
The well-known Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi is quoted as
saying, "The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Police in the German city of
Recklinghausen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia recently added to the greatness of Germany through the kindness
they showed to a small squirrel.
On a week when the police Facebook page had posts about men who beat up a senior, the mugging of an elderly woman, a
review of bicycle safety and catching an arsonist, it also posted about "arresting” a squirrel. But the arrest was a good thing.
The squirrel allegedly chased a woman down a street. The woman contacted police, who responded and took the squirrel
into custody. At the police station, it was determined that the squirrel, far from being a nasty stalker, was actually in need of
help. He was offered apple pieces and given honey tea.
Bottrop: Eichhörnchen nach Verfolgung in Gewahrsam genommen Ein sehr ungewöhnlicher Notruf erreichte heute Morgen
die Polizei in Bottrop. Ein Eichhörnchen verfolgte eine junge Frau an der Eichenstraße.Die Beamten stellten fest: das
stimmt! Sie nahmen den Verfolger in Gewahrsam und brachten ihn zur Polizeiwache. Dort zeigte das Eichhörnchen erste
Erschöpfungserscheinungen, denen die Beamten mit Apfelstücken und Honigtee entgegenwirkten. Frisch gestärkt soll es
dann einer Auffangstation übergeben werden.----------------------#Polizei#RecklinghausenPosted by Polizei NRW
Recklinghausen on Wednesday, July 15, 2015
I’ve never heard of this behavior, but it’s actually not uncommon, at least in Germany. In fact, one comment on the police
video pointed to the Four Paws Germany website that explains that squirrels in distress might seek out humans. It then
recommends that such squirrels can be assisted by placing them in a box with a sweater or something to snuggle in and
putting a perforated lid on top. It also advises that the squirrel can be offered honey-sweetened tea. These are temporary
measures until the squirrel can be taken to a wildlife rehabilitator.
Normally, if a wild animal is acting overly friendly or overly aggressive, the usual assumption is that it might have rabies.
This can't be discounted, so it's not that odd that the woman called the police instead of trying to deal with the squirrel
herself.
Read about The Squirrel Who Paints The police in Recklinghausen fed the little squirrel and stated it would be handed over
to an animal shelter. It’s nice to hear about such kindness offered to a little creature who was asking for help in his own
way.