7-Year-Old Boy Bitten By Raccoon In Ridgewood, Police Say

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Animal control officials are trying to track down a raccoon that bit a 7-year-old boy in the leg in Ridgewood on Saturday, police said.

A family was walking on a trail in Maple Park around 7 p.m. when the raccoon attacked, Captain Glenn Ender told Patch.

The raccoon bit the boy in the leg when the family was in the area of Meadowbrook and Northern Parkway, Ender said.

The boy’s parents took him to Valley Hospital.

Tyco animal control and police are now trying to find the furry mammal.

Police had also said that on Sunday, around 2:15 p.m., they got a separate report about a sick-looking raccoon crossing Meadowbrook Avenue.

"Out of an abundance of caution, residents are encouraged to remain vigilant in this area and throughout the Village," police said.

Aggressive animals may have rabies, a virus that, when passed humans other animals, is fatal unless they are treated quickly.

Police encouraged these precautions:

• Do not approach, feed, or attempt to handle any wild animals.

• Keep children under close supervision when outdoors.

• Keep pets leashed and under control while outside.

• Avoid any wildlife that appears aggressive, unusually tame, disoriented, injured, or sick.

• Report sightings of aggressive or abnormal animal behavior to the Ridgewood Police Department

• If you are bitten or scratched by a wild animal, seek medical attention immediately and notify the police department.

In April, Mahwah residents received a similar warning after a beaver attacked a boy. It was caught, euthanized, and determined to have rabies, officials said. The boy and another person who was attacked received rabies treatment quickly.

And in early May, a rabid raccoon was captured in Byram Township, in Sussex County.

Previous Reporting: Ridgewood Police Warn Of Raccoon Attack