GEORGIA (LOOTPRESS) – A Georgia man was bitten in the face and hands by a raccoon he attempted to rescue over the weekend, according to the Chattahoochee Nature Center (CNC).
The man reportedly found the injured animal in Cherokee County and tried to bring it to the nature center himself, CNC said on social media.
According to the center, the man wrapped the raccoon in his coat and held it against his chest during a drive of more than an hour.
During the trip, the raccoon bit him, prompting him to return home and wrap the animal in a blanket secured with duct tape before continuing to CNC.
The man arrived about an hour before the Wildlife Clinic opened, at the same time children were arriving for CNC Camp Kingfisher’s Thanksgiving Break camp.
CNC said the camp director radioed Wildlife staff, and when they arrived, “Wildlife staff met the finder in the parking lot with a kennel” to secure the raccoon.
Staff persuaded the man to go to the hospital for treatment. The raccoon was taken to Bells Ferry Veterinary Hospital for euthanasia. Less than 48 hours later, CNC was informed the raccoon had tested positive for rabies.
CNC staff said the man’s actions put others at risk. “While the finder’s heart was in the right place, he put himself, his family, CNC’s staff, volunteers and visitors… and the staff of Bells Ferry all at risk,” the center said in a Facebook post.
Experts urge the public to contact licensed wildlife professionals when encountering injured animals and to avoid handling wildlife that could carry rabies.
