An Idaho mother was horrified to discover a raccoon snuck inside their home and was attacking her infant son. She quickly ran to her son's aid. Later, her husband and a police officer killed the critter.
The incident happened on December 23. The woman heard "a loud noise in the home." According to Idaho Fish and Game, that's when she discovered a raccoon attacking her son. She sprung into flight or fight and grabbed the animal. She then took her son to the Cassia Regional Hospital in Burley to treat his injuries. He was later transferred to Salt Lake City.
From there, authorities tracked down the animal and helped to kill it. However, they do not know how the raccoon managed to get into the house to begin with. The Idaho Bureau of Laboratories tested the animal for rabies. But it came back as negative.
Raccoon Attack
"Once notified of the incident, staff from the Magic Valley Region activated their Wildlife Human Attack Response Team," the IDFG wrote in the release. "This specially trained team of department staff has the responsibility to act to protect the safety of the public and incident responders; attempt to identify, locate, and control the animal(s) involved in a human-wildlife incident; and conduct, document and report investigative findings."
They called the raccoon attack "extremely rare."
"As with all wildlife that can be found around homes in Idaho, the best course of action to avoid raccoon encounters is to take preventative actions before a problem starts," the department wrote. "Raccoons can live in a variety of habitats, but an area with access to water and food will attract them."
"A homeowner can limit food sources by securing residential garbage, removing any fallen fruit or rotten produce from your yard or garden, feeding pets indoors, keeping pet food securely stored, and removing or securing bird feeders," IDFG added. "Blocking raccoon access to hiding places in sheds and outbuildings and sealing off potential entryways and exits in and around a home will also discourage raccoon use."
