Elvis the Pelvis attacks pensioner

A red squirrel called Elvis the Pelvis has attacked a children's writer who nursed him back to health. Ernie Gordon, one of Britain's leading authorities on squirrels was given a lesson in animal ingratitude when the injured creature savaged both his hands.

Mr Gordon, who has written a book about the animals, had to be taken to accident and emergency after the rescued squirrel sank its teeth into his right hand index finger, then his left hand thumb. The 75-year-old was given a tetanus injection and a course of antibiotics."You cannot believe the strength or pressure a little squirrel has in its jaw," he said.

Mr Gordon of Alnwick in Northumberland had been looking after six-month-old squirrel for several days, even building him a house in a lawnmower box, after being contacted by locals who had seen the limping creature.



The author of children's book The Adventures of Rusty Red Coat Volume 1 is well known for spending each day at the town's Hulne Park, studying and feeding the squirrels.

Because of the nature of the squirrel's injuries - a vet diagnosed him with a broken pelvis - the pensioner decided to call his new friend Elvis. The animal became aggitated when Mr Gordon tried handle him, showing his ferocious bite.

Since their fall out Elvis has moved out of the house to stay with a friend of Mr Gordon's in nearby Rennington, where he continues to be fed and nursed back to fitness. The pensioner plans to gradually reintroduce him into the local woods in three to four weeks, before finally releasing him back into the wild.