A gray fox ran up to a woman in her south Arlington yard and bit her on May 9. A neighbor drove the fox away by throwing an oil can at it. Police, emergency medical technicians, and animal control responded. When animal control officers arrived, the fox was under an emergency vehicle biting the mud flaps. Officers netted the fox and brought it back to the shelter and euthanized it. It was sent for testing at the Virginia state laboratory, and on May 13 the lab reported that the fox tested positive for rabies.
The woman who was bitten is receiving anti-rabies treatment and is expected to have no long-term effects from the bite. The Arlington County Public Health Division sent an alert to local Civic Associations to identify any other people or animals who may have been exposed. While a rabid fox attack is extremely rare in Arlington, it illustrates the importance of keeping our distance from wildlife.
“Rabies is endemic in our area. People need to be aware that there are wild animals, including foxes, in many of our neighborhoods,” said Richard Cole, chief of the County’s Environmental Health Bureau.
We receive calls every day from Arlington residents concerned about wildlife. As more and more land is built over, wild animals are forced to live closer to human beings. Wild animals play an important role in our environment: for example, bats eat mosquitoes and foxes eat insects, rats, and mice. Also, observing our native species is an exciting way to connect with our natural world.
Residents can take steps to discourage wildlife from living in their yards: remove attractions, such as garbage or pet food, and keep your yard free of debris that could serve as habitat. Neighbors can work together to make their community less inviting to wildlife. If your neighbor is leaving pet food outdoors or intentionally feeding wildlife, educate them about the danger of coming into close contact with some wildlife. Even bird seed that falls on the ground can attract mice and rats, and these attract foxes. We can also take the essential step of keeping our dogs and cats current on rabies vaccinations.
The likelihood of encountering a rabid animal is extremely rare, but there are cases of rabies every year. Animals that test positive most often are raccoons and feral cats. We haven’t had a rabid fox in Arlington in years. The great majority of wildlife seen in Arlington is healthy, but signs of illness include having trouble walking, walking in circles, and staggering. If you see an animal exhibiting these signs of illness, call the League immediately at 703-931-9241.
3 comments:
Thank you for humanely euthanizing the fox at the shelter. I am aware of many residents who are considering calling trappers or setting up traps for foxes now. Please continue to educate the public on the gravely inhumane trapping techniques and, even worse, euthanasia techniques used by trappers. It is unfortunate what happened but also extremely rare, and foxes are amazingly beautiful and necessary animals. Please protect them.
I saw a fox this morning in my backyard in North Arlington near Feilder and Randol Mill .(my neighbor next door leaves catfood out for all the stray cats, raccoons and oppossums).I appreciate the wildlife in our area,but attracting animals like this to a residential area near a school and a heavily traveled road is nonsense.Not only is it a potential public health hazard,its inhumane to the animals themselves! I've given up on having a fish pond,and my yorkie can only go outside escorted.It would be nice to have a way of enforcing city codes instead of suggesting them. P.J.Knight.Arlington
I just saw a fox run up 26th St. South, the junction with S. Hayes. So we still have them about. This young creature (I think) was in beautiful condition.
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