Canada feverish over flying squirrel

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- A northern flying squirrel from Indiana has Canadian bureaucrats rewriting their own regulations on the fly in a bid to deport her, the Toronto Star said.

The tiny 6-month-old rodent named Sabrina was imported by flying squirrel expert Steve Patterson June 26 at the Detroit-Windsor border after obtaining federal and provincial permits.

Patterson, of Mississauga, which borders Toronto to the east, said the permits stipulated the animal be microchipped, which he plans to do as soon as she is old enough to withstand the procedure.

But this summer, Sabrina became an international celebrity after being branded an undesirable alien by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency over fears about the possible spread of monkey pox from the United States.

Since then, Patterson has spent $25,000 in legal battles to keep the nocturnal squirrel, but the federal agency has appealed, saying their original permit was issued by mistake.

"I'm looking forward to the appeal because they're going to get their asses kicked again," Patterson told the newspaper.

A court date has not been set.