this post was submitted on 19 Sep 2024
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Gatwick train cancelled after squirrels board and 'refuse to leave' (news.sky.com)
submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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The squirrels jumped on the Great Western Railway (GWR) 8.54am train from Reading to Gatwick on Monday, forcing passengers to flee to other carriages.

The passengers alerted staff, who tried to lure the squirrels off the train at Redhill with snacks, before trying to force them off with brooms - but to no avail.

They subsequently called the journey off entirely.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago (6 children)

How do you know they’re not rabid? (Serious question)

[–] [email protected] 20 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Rabies is virtually eradicated in the UK. Bats and imported animals are a potential risk, but the chance of a squirrel having rabies is nearly zero.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 months ago

I honestly didn’t know this. Thank you!

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The UK is one of very few places in the world designated rabies free.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago

That answers my question then, TIL! Thanks!

[–] Deebster 11 points 2 months ago

Others have answered, but the UK has been rabies free for over a century!

The British Isles (GB and Ireland) have been rabies free since the disease was eradicated in terrestrial animals in 1922.

per DEFRA

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago

Also note, while you should always assume on the side of safety, it is an invariably fatal disease that is too late to vaccinate for or treat by the time you have symptoms, it is exceedingly rare for small rodents like squirrels to carry rabies as generally if they make contact with a rabid animal they don't survive the encounter to pass it on. Most of the few rodent/lagomorph rabies cases in the US are in beavers and groundhogs.

I REPEAT: They CAN get rabies and the only way to be safe is to get treatment immediately if you are in contact with any wild animal that could even remotely have rabies, also squirrels can carry other diseases that can kill you including plague and hantavirus, contact a doctor immediately if you get bitten by any unknown animal and only interact with wildlife with your eyes and ears from a respectful distance.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Rabies is probably illegal in the UK, so no rabies anymore?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Illegal? I mean in the US yeah, we’re supposed to vaccinate our pets and such but there are still wild animals that could be rabid.

We have coyotes, raccoons, and opossums where we live, and they aren’t anyone’s pets. So you try to stay away from them and keep your pets away, too, if they go outside as a precaution.

We had a dog once that ran outside unexpectedly when we opened the door because we heard something. It was an opossum and he attacked it. He was vaccinated and okay, but we grabbed him and drug him inside and made sure that neither one of us had cuts or anything…he was covered in blood and enjoyed a nice long bath after.