The article reports three recent attacks by an unidentified animal displaying “unusually aggressive behavior toward people” in Lebanon, New Hampshire, located approximately 122 miles northwest of Boston. According to the Lebanon Police Department, the attacks, which occurred between August 30 and 31, appear to be unprovoked and may involve the same animal. Video footage captures one incident where the animal, emerging from a wooded area, repeatedly attacks a person’s legs as they walk near a moving truck. Despite the attacks, authorities have not yet determined the animal’s species, though witnesses speculate it could be either a gray fox or a fisher, a nocturnal mammal from the weasel family known to inhabit forests across the Northeast, Pacific Northwest, and Great Lakes states.
The aggressive behavior of the animal is noted to be characteristic of rabies, a viral disease that can be lethal to humans if medical attention is not sought before symptoms manifest, as stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Rabies transmission to humans can occur through bites, scratches, or contact with saliva from an infected animal on open wounds or mucous membranes. In response, the Lebanon Police Department advises the public to avoid approaching, feeding, or attempting to capture the potentially rabid animal and to report any attacks, bites, or scratches immediately. Furthermore, the article emphasizes the critical need for individuals who have been bitten or scratched by a wild animal to seek medical care without delay, highlighting that post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), consisting of a series of rabies vaccines, is nearly 100% effective in preventing the virus if administered promptly.