Stoke Bishop is dealing with a squirrel epidemic

They’re bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and blood-thirsty


Stoke Bishop is situated close to the Downs, and so is naturally home to all kinds of wildlife, including foxes, badgers, and irritatingly noisy owls.

Stoke Bishop hill: deceptively tranquil

Recently, however, there seems to be an explosion in the population of one particular creature; the apparently not-so-humble squirrel.

They. Are. Everywhere. And they’re growing bolder by the minute.

Students at University Hall were warned in their inductions to keep their kitchen windows firmly closed when they are out, as cheeky squirrels have been known to wriggle inside and pilfer food.

They’ll steal anything they can get their grubby paws on, and are often witnessed breaking and entering, particularly into the ground floor flats. One unlucky boy even lost his entire birthday cake to these furry bandits last year.

A pesky squirrel flees the scene of the crime #thuglife

But it’s not just the number of squirrels that has Stoke Bishop quaking in its boots. It turns out getting your custard creams stolen is not the only thing to fear from these bushy-tailed beasts, as UH student Jenny learned the hard way last week.

Jenny was harassed and verbally abused for an hour by a squirrel outside her window while she was innocently trying to study. The squirrel had scaled the wall outside her window, hung upside-down and SQUAWKED at her (no, I didn’t even know that they made noises either).

Her flatmates began to fear for their safety, and the senior resident and the Stoke Bishop security were called. Both were equally baffled by the squirrel’s bizarre behaviour, and were ready to call the RSPCA before the squirrel scampered away, probably to hassle somebody else or to steal their crisps.

Security has a no-tolerance policy regarding noise, but this squirrel does what he wants

For its daring escapade, the bushy-tailed miscreant had braved a staggering five floor climb.

Of her terrifying ordeal, Jenny said: “It was so unexpected, one of the most terrifying encounters of my life. I feared not only for the squirrel’s safety, but also my own life”.

Haunted by the furry fiend

At least it’s over now Jenny.