Fox Squirrels and Gray Squirrels are known to strip bark from trees, sometimes severely. I'm sorry.

Well, if the stripped bark doesn't kill it, the tree will push over the fence. So it seems that you will have grief whatever happens.

how high is that second pic ... so it was attacked low and high???? ... weird ....

i have never seen a squirrel do that type of damage in my MI ... but i dont know if mine are those listed above .. probably not ...

something wrong with the second pic ... almost looks like human damage ... ?????

do you see any teeth marks ... or claw marks ...

ken

The top pic is 6 - 7 ft off the ground. No, i saw no marks.

I does look like a human could have did it but i doubt it.

I dont think anyone was in my backyard and why would someone come do this to my tree?

Definitely rodent/animal damage.

From your pic, it looks like the fence got eaten too!

Fox squirrels regularly did this kind of bark damage to limbs in our large fruitless mulberries causing a mess of dead limbs and odd growth in the crowns. Strongly preferred horizontal branches, but some would occasionally go after small vertical growth, too.... except where it was close enough to the ground for the rabbits to beat them to it.