NOVATO (CBS-SF) – The last thing Richard Williams expected when he started doing chores in the garage of his Novato home the day after Thanksgiving was that he would soon be in a life-and-death battle with a crazed squirrel.

The 87-year-old Williams said the squirrel that has been terrorizing the neighborhood slipped into the garage through an open door.

“He charged me and jumped, and from then on, the battle started,” he told KPIX CBS 5.

The squirrel turned Williams’ head, arm and legs bloody. It also smashed his glasses.

“He was really vicious. He was clawing and scratching,” he said. “I was trying to get him off. Every time I’d get him off, he’d jump back up again.”

His 83-year-old wife, Norma, heard his screams and raced to his aid. When she saw her bloodied husband, she picked up a broom and joined the battle.

“I grabbed the broom, picked it up,” she said. “I guess I hit the squirrel with it.”

Still the attack continued.

“And then he jumped her,” Richard Williams said. “I was able to grab him by the tail, threw him on the garage floor and he seemed stunned.”

The squirrel then raced off and a neighbor came to the couple’s aid, bringing them to a hospital for treatment of their wounds.

Both were bandaged up and given dozens of shots including vaccines for rabies and tetanus.

The same squirrel is suspected of attacking five others in the last two weeks in the surrounding neighborhood including a teacher and student at Pleasant Valley Elementary.

Animal control officers have been patrolling the area, searching for the squirrel. Warning flyers have also been posted.

NOVATO (KPIX 5) – A badly behaved squirrel got into a kindergarten classroom in Novato and caused quite a ruckus.

Pleasant Valley School principal Dana Sadan sent a letter home to parents in November explaining how the aggressive squirrel ran up the 2nd grade teacher’s leg and bit her on the shoulder.

The teacher grabbed the critter and threw it off of her. The squirrel then scurried across the hall into another classroom where it bit one child and landed on the shoulder of another. Finally, the school custodian arrived and managed to remove it from the classroom.

“The squirrel sneaked into the hall, into the open door and bit the kid and [the teacher],” said Charlotte Miller, a young student at the school.

By the time The Marin Humane Society arrived and tried to locate the squirrel, it had taken off into the open space area near the school.

“It’s a very unusual behavior for squirrels,” said Lisa Bloch of the Marin Humane Society. “We’ve been receiving several notifications of squirrel attacks, actually. In a particular neighborhood in Novato there have been eight victims.”

Novato officials said there has been a spike in squirrel attacks in recent weeks. They blame the aggressive behavior on humans who try to feed them. Once the squirrels associate people with food they become more prone to aggression.

“I should have never pet that squirrel,” said Kennedy Francis, one of Miller’s classmates. Miller couldn’t believe her friend’s revelation.

“You did?!?” said Miller.

“I feeded it – I pet it. What?” Francis asked.

“Don’t leave any food on the ground!” said Miller.

“I won’t,” replied Francis.

“I mean your food AND my food,” Francis added.

The school sent messages to all families explaining the attack and reassuring everyone it was an isolated event. They also warned students not to feed the animals.

“If a wild animal gets the idea that humans provide food, somehow they get it in their head that all humans provide food. Which means they go up to all people and then when they don’t get food from everyone, they can become aggressive about it,” said Alison Hermance of Wildcare.

Both the student and teacher who were bitten are seeking medical treatment. So far, there is no indication the squirrel had rabies.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Just be thankful you don't live in Australia.

The problem there is not that wild animals have got the idea that humans will provide food so much as that humans are food.

 Alex C wrote:
Michigan squirrel - Farm pest usually shot on sight.

California squirrel - Rabid man-killer that terrorizes neighborhoods by preying on children and the elderly in a bloody wave of violence.

Either the squirrels we have here are orders of magnitude less capable than the ones in California, or people in California are orders of magnitude less capable than the people we have here...

 Frazzled wrote:

 Kilkrazy wrote:
Just be thankful you don't live in Australia.

The problem there is not that wild animals have got the idea that humans will provide food so much as that humans are food.

When I was in law school. I would sit at a specific table outside every second day and feed a clearly old squirrel the better part of an apple, and on fridays a little popcorn treat. He would sit on my shoulder and we would study Con Law together. Oh crap its dusty in the office today, I appear to have gotten dust in my eyes.

 Frazzled wrote:
You had a father in law in East Texas? That alone will mess you up.

I have a father in law in East Texas. This means we're related. Bro!

 Kilkrazy wrote:
They might be rabid.

 Frazzled wrote:
When I was in law school. I would sit at a specific table outside every second day and feed a clearly old squirrel the better part of an apple, and on fridays a little popcorn treat. He would sit on my shoulder and we would study Con Law together. Oh crap its dusty in the office today, I appear to have gotten dust in my eyes.

 Smacks wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:
When I was in law school. I would sit at a specific table outside every second day and feed a clearly old squirrel the better part of an apple, and on fridays a little popcorn treat. He would sit on my shoulder and we would study Con Law together. Oh crap its dusty in the office today, I appear to have gotten dust in my eyes.

When I was at school, there was a wooden shelter by the tennis courts where I would go to smoke cigarettes. There were a few squirrels there which I would feed whatever I had on me (usually chips). It took me ages to lure one up onto my shoulder... Turns out they have surprisingly sharp little claws! Having a squirrel run up your arm is much more painful and far less adorable than I had been expecting.

 ZergSmasher wrote:
I perhaps should call them Apex Predators!

I can't believe how many rodents have a taste for men.

squidhills wrote:
There are Russian black squirrels in parts of Frederick County, MD. Local legend has it that they were lab animals at Fort Detrick which were released (or escaped) from either the cancer research labs or the bioweapon research labs. Either way, I'm not about to let one of them bite me.