A bewildered mother found her young son being attacked by a raccoon that had snuck into her Idaho home and successfully fought off the unexpected holiday visitor.
On Dec. 23, the mother called the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) and the Cassia County Sheriff's Office after hearing “loud noises inside the house” and discovering a raccoon attacking the boy. idaho fish and game Shared in release.
Authorities say the mother managed to grab the furry intruder to save her son.
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A wild raccoon snuck into a home and attacked a toddler, the Idaho Fish and Game reported. (Idaho Fish and Game)
The infant was taken to Cassia Regional Hospital in Burley for undisclosed injuries and then transferred to a Salt Lake City hospital.
Officials said sheriff's deputies returned to the home with the baby's father, located the baby and killed him.
IDFG noted that it is unclear how the raccoon got into the home and there were no other raccoons inside.
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The animal's carcass was then tested for rabies by the Idaho State Laboratory, and the test results were negative, the statement said.
“Upon notification of the incident, Magic Valley District officials activated the Human Wildlife Attack Response Team,” IDFG wrote. “This team of specially trained department staff acts to protect the safety of the public and incident responders by identifying, locating, attempting to control, and taking action on animals involved in human-wildlife incidents. Please report the results of your investigation.
Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals that is most often transmitted to humans through the bite of a rabid animal. (St. Petersburg)
The agency said raccoon attacks on humans are “extremely rare” in the state, and noted that only one case of rabies in a raccoon has been recorded in Idaho.
The Israeli Defense Department told Idahoans not to “deliberately feed raccoons” and said they typically avoid humans unless they feel “threatened.”
“As with all wildlife seen around homes in Idaho, the best course of action to avoid encounters with raccoons is to take precautions before the problem begins,” the department wrote. “Raccoons can live in a variety of habitats, but raccoons congregate where they have access to water and food.
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“Homeowners should secure residential trash, remove fallen fruit and rotten produce from yards and yards, feed pets indoors, store pet food safely, and remove or remove bird feeders. By immobilizing it, we can limit food sources,” IDFG added. “Cutting off raccoon access to shelters in sheds and outbuildings, as well as sealing off potential entrances and exits in and around your home, will also discourage raccoon use.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to IDFG for comment.
