EPPING FOREST, England — East of England Ambulance service is urging the public to call 999 only for emergency after a man reported a hit-and-run involving a squirrel.
The dispatcher at first assumed the victim was a person and sought confirmation that an ambulance was needed based on reports of a broken neck. It soon emerged that the victim was a squirrel, which was dead, BBC News reports.
“We prioritize all life-threatening calls to get the quickest possible response,” said Gary Morgan, eastern regional head of emergency operations centers. “However, that response can be affected if our call handlers and front-line staff are dealing with inappropriate 999 calls.”