{"id":1453,"date":"2025-08-20T15:52:44","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T15:52:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/?p=1453"},"modified":"2025-08-20T15:52:45","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T15:52:45","slug":"zombie-squirrels-with-oozing-flesh-terrify-u-s-homeowners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/?p=1453","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Zombie Squirrels\u2019 with Oozing Flesh Terrify U.S. Homeowners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In several U.S. neighborhoods, residents have reported a disturbing sight: squirrels wandering through yards with patches of fur missing, raw wounds, and oozing flesh. Nicknamed <strong>\u201czombie squirrels\u201d<\/strong> by shocked homeowners, the animals have sparked fear and concern over what might be causing their gruesome appearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s Really Happening?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Experts explain that these squirrels are not turning into zombies but are most likely suffering from a severe <strong>mange infestation<\/strong>. Mange is caused by parasitic mites that burrow into the animal\u2019s skin, leading to hair loss, sores, and infections. In advanced cases, the skin can appear raw and bleeding\u2014giving the squirrels their terrifying \u201czombie-like\u201d look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Risks to Humans and Pets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While mange in squirrels doesn\u2019t pose a major threat to humans, it can sometimes spread to household pets like dogs and cats. Veterinarians advise keeping pets away from infected wildlife and contacting animal control if the problem seems widespread in your area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why They\u2019re Being Seen More Often<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Wildlife specialists note that reports of \u201czombie squirrels\u201d rise during periods when squirrel populations grow rapidly. Overcrowding makes it easier for mites and infections to spread, leaving more animals visibly sick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Homeowners Should Do<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you spot a squirrel with oozing skin or zombie-like behavior:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Avoid contact<\/strong> with the animal.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keep pets indoors<\/strong> or away from affected areas.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Notify local wildlife officials<\/strong> so the animal can be safely handled.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In several U.S. neighborhoods, residents have reported a disturbing sight: squirrels wandering through yards with patches of fur missing, raw wounds, and oozing flesh. Nicknamed \u201czombie squirrels\u201d&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1453"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1453\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}