For a few tense days in Browns Point, the noisiest neighbors on the block were not the ones throwing parties. State wildlife officers moved in last week and removed five squirrels from the Tacoma neighborhood after residents reported the animals acting aggressively and at least one person was bitten and treated.
The incident shook nearby households and brought a quick handoff between county responders and state wildlife staff. Officials say the problem squirrels appeared “habituated,” or comfortable around people, a red flag that can lead to bolder behavior and more human-wildlife run-ins.
According to The News Tribune, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department received two emails late last week describing aggressive squirrels in Browns Point. Deputies passed those complaints to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), whose biologists then trapped and removed five squirrels that staff described as showing habituated behavior. A Tacoma resident who had been bitten sought medical treatment, the outlet reported.
WDFW urges caution and reporting
WDFW officials say it is a straightforward equation: when people feed or otherwise habituate wild animals, those animals lose their natural caution around humans and the odds of confrontation go up…