6 baby squirrels get their tails tangled, engage in 'tug of war' for life

A man was shell-shocked after he found six baby squirrels in a 'rat king' situation in the city of Elkhorn in Wisconsin, United States.

Yes, we are talking about the rare situation when tails of rats get intertwined. This situation is associated with various superstitions and is considered as a premonition for plagues.

A 'rat-king' bad omen or not, one thing is sure it causes a great deal of distress for the animals and can even lead to death.

Craig Luttman saw the sad state of the baby squirrels when he stepped out to investigate after he heard them screeching outside his home. He saw the six-headed cluster, climbing a tree in his backyard, according to Science Alert.

"It was like a tug of war. All were going in different directions." Luttman told the Omaha World-Herald.

The squirrels were handed over to Nebraska Wildlife Rehab. The rehab's executive director Laura Stastny gave the animals mild painkiller and covered them with a towel as she began untangling them. According to her, the animals got into the 'rat king' due to sticky tree sap. They would have got glued together when they are wrestling in their nests, said Stastny.

Though she managed to free the squirrels, some of them had to go through surgeries because their tails were damaged.

Not all animals entangled in such a situation have happy endings as they often starve to death or become an easy prey.

Sometimes, the situation can arrive if a string lands in the nest of small rodents.

Check out the Facebook post by Nebraska Wildlife Rehab here: