New Hampshire Police Searching for Mystery Animal Caught on Video After Three Unprovoked Attacks
LEBANON, N.H. — Police in this western New Hampshire city are searching for a wild animal that attacked three people in the same area over two days, and they still have not been able to identify the species.
Lebanon police said the attacks occurred Aug. 30 and 31 in the Centerra Parkway area, about 122 miles northwest of Boston. The encounters appear to have been unprovoked, and investigators believe the same animal is responsible.
Video from one encounter shows the animal darting out of a treeline and lunging at a person walking near a moving truck. It repeatedly goes after the person’s legs before the victim manages to fling it away; the animal then retreats into the wooded area, the footage shows.
Authorities have not confirmed what type of animal is involved. Witnesses told police they believe it was either a gray fox or a fisher, an elusive member of the weasel family that lives in forests across the Northeast, Pacific Northwest and Great Lakes states. Fishers generally avoid people, which makes the reported attacks even more unusual.
Police described the animal as displaying “unusually aggressive behavior toward people,” a possible sign of rabies. Rabies can spread to humans through bites or scratches, and it can also be transmitted if infected saliva touches an open wound or the eyes, ears, nose or mouth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If left untreated until symptoms appear, rabies can lead to severe brain disease and death.
The Lebanon Police Department urged anyone who has been bitten or scratched by a wild animal to seek medical care immediately. Post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies consists of a series of four or five vaccine doses and is almost 100 percent effective at preventing the virus from taking hold when given promptly.
Until the animal is found, police are asking people in the area to stay alert and not approach, feed, attempt to catch or otherwise interact with it. Anyone who experiences a bite, scratch or other encounter should contact the Lebanon Police Department.
The back-to-back attacks are a reminder that seemingly rare wildlife encounters can turn dangerous quickly. Health experts say the safest response to any unusual wild-animal contact is to keep a distance, report the incident and seek medical help immediately.