A squirrel went on a vicious Christmas rampage in a Welsh town, attacking 18 residents and animals

• Villagers in Buckley, Wales, had their Christmas celebrations tainted by a furry menace.
• It was not the Grinch, but instead, a rabid, grey-haired squirrel who bit at least 18 residents.

A town in Wales experienced the wrath of a furry monster this Christmas: not the Grinch, but a sharp-toothed, grey-haired squirrel who attacked at least 18 residents and animals before being caught.

According to the Evening Standard, residents in the village of Buckley, North Wales were terrified to leave their homes for days during the festive season as the squirrel, nicknamed Stripe, attacked villagers on their patios and in their gardens, sending some to the hospital.

In a community Facebook group, residents shared their deception and horror stories.

"Warning, vicious squirrel that attacks," Nicola Crowther wrote on December 26 in the Buckley Residents Facebook Group. Crowther posted a zoomed-in, blurry shot of the squirrel and said that she and multiple friends had been bitten.

"It's also attacked my two Bengals, who fear nothing, and my neighbors' Bengal cats," she wrote. "Dare not go out of my house, as it's lurking. I'm afraid it needs shooting."

Scott Felton, another resident, said he was smoking a cigarette on his porch when Stripe attacked him.

"I thought it wanted feeding but it bit me before I even had a chance," Felton wrote in the Facebook group.

"I wouldn't normally put something up like (post onto Facebook) but it was just so random and it well hurt. Had to go to the hospital to get a jab. Not that I wanted to," he added.

Many shared photos of gashes and bruises reportedly caused by Stripe.

The squirrel reportedly attacked 18 residents and animals in total before Corinne Reynolds, a local who knew the squirrel's weakness – peanuts – stopped the rampage.

"I think my bite wasn't too bad because he knows me but when I saw the others all over Facebook," Reynolds told the Evening Standard. "I was shocked and realised I had to get him caught before it was a child. Those teeth could bite right through a child's tiny finger."

Reynolds added that she was shocked at the attacks and suspected the squirrel developed a condition that caused it to act out. Eventually, Reynolds turned the squirrel over to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), who euthanized the animal.

An RSPCA spokesperson told The Guardian that the decision was due to local laws.

"We were incredibly sad to have to put this squirrel to sleep but were left with no choice due to changes in legislation in 2019 making it illegal to release grey squirrels back into the wild. We do not agree with this law and opposed it, but legally we have to comply," the organization said.

With Stripe now out of the picture, next Christmas in Buckley should be a little less nuts.