'Unprovoked' Squirrel Attack Sends Louisiana Man To Hospital

A man in Louisiana was taken to a hospital after receiving "significant" injuries in a squirrel attack.

The Slidell Police Department confirmed that officers responded to reports of a "vicious squirrel" actively attacking a 78-year-old man on Tuesday (April 26), per WDSU. According to the caller who reported the incident the squirrel was "eating his hand" as the man "was attempting to choke the squirrel, but was unable to obtain a good grip."

When first responders arrived on the scene, they found the man still struggling with the rodent before it ultimately perished from its injuries, the department wrote in a post on its official Facebook page.

"It was discovered that the man was walking around outside of his home, when the squirrel came from the direction of his roof and attacked him (unprovoked)," the post states.

The man, whose name was not released, was transported to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries, some of which were "pretty significant," but is expected to make a full recovery.

According to police, this is the second reported squirrel attack in Slidell this year, following the first attack during a Mardi Gras parade in February. Though two attacks have been reported since the start of the year, experts say it is rare for the rodents to attack people; however, a diseased squirrel could be more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior.