Squirrels have bitten to death a stray dog which was barking at them in a Russian park, local media report.
Passers-by were too late to stop the attack by the black squirrels in a village in the far east, which reportedly lasted about a minute.
They are said to have scampered off at the sight of humans, some carrying pieces of flesh.
A pine cone shortage may have led the squirrels to seek other food sources, although scientists are sceptical.
The attack was reported in parkland in the centre of Lazo, a village in the Maritime Territory, and was witnessed by three local people.
A "big" stray dog was nosing about the trees and barking at squirrels hiding in branches overhead when a number of them suddenly descended and attacked, reports say.
"They literally gutted the dog," local journalist Anastasia Trubitsina told Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper.
"When they saw the men, they scattered in different directions, taking pieces of their kill away with them."
Mikhail Tiyunov, a scientist in the region, said it was the first he had ever heard of such an attack.
While squirrels without sources of protein might attack birds' nests, he said, the idea of them chewing a dog to death was "absurd".
"If it really happened, things must be pretty bad in our forests," he added.
Komosmolskaya Pravda notes that in a previous incident this autumn chipmunks terrorised cats in a part of the territory.
A Lazo man who called himself only Mikhalich said there had been "no pine cones at all" in the local forests this year.
"The little beasts are agitated because they have nothing to eat," he added.
What do you guys think, is it a food shortage for the squirrel or was it maybe the fact that the dog was getting to be a nuisance?
thats really super sad! wowww. everyone! stay away from squirrels! I dont know how you would make them content though. if you leave out food for them then they dont leave you alone! I mean if they are THIS vicious i wouldnt want to lure them into my yard or anything!
wow that shows how you dont know what you are messing with. that could have been human. i have seen people harasssing animals in parks and they think they are so hot by torturing an animal but when they gang up on you, holy s**t! now you arent so hot...
well, if there is a shortage of the squirells' natural food, then survival of the fittest. they are finding food by any means necessary. theyre hungry man.
I had no idea such cute animals were capable of such an act. That poor poor dog! Even if pinecones are scarce for the squirrel i still think they should have chosen an alternative for food. For instance...If i had a shortage of food in the house it doesnt necessarily mean that i would kill my dog for consumption.
"Wanna hear a joke? A squirrel didn't save food for the winter, so he starved to death. It's a funny joke because a squirrel died" - UP
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