Rapacious Rodent

The Bavarian town of Passau, on the Austrian border, is usually a fairly quiet place, with man and nature living in relative harmony. But this week, the bucolic balance was thrown off when a squirrel went berserk, terrorizing three in a biting rampage that ended only with his death.

His first victim was a 70-year-old woman, who was sitting peacefully in her living room when she was surprised by the sensation of small claws on her back. The squirrel had jumped through a window and onto the woman, soon sinking its teeth into her hand. Acorns weren't on this little guy's mind, arteries apparently were.

Terrified, the woman ran out into the street in a panic, managing to shake the squirrel off.

But the creature, whipped into a frenzy, immediately found another victim. He jumped onto a nearby construction worker, injuring him on the hand and arm. The fellow was finally able to fight the furry demon off with a measuring pole.

Still on the hunt for blood, the tiny terror then ran into the garden of a 72-year-old retiree.

"The squirrel massively attacked him on the arms, hand and thigh," said a local police spokesperson. So the senior citizen used the only weapon at his disposal -- his crutch.

He clubbed the ruthless rodent to death.

How the squirrel obtained his bloodlust is still unclear, although experts have said its behavior could be linked to the mating season or the squirrel could have been diseased.