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.
An adult later reported being bitten by a raccoon in the same area, police said.
According to Police Captain Glenn Ender, a family was walking on a trail in Maple Park around 7 p.m. when the raccoon bit the boy in the leg.
The family was in the area of Meadowbrook and Northern Parkway, his said.
The boy’s parents took him to Valley Hospital.
On Monday, another person reported having been bitten by a raccoon on Saturday night. That person was bitten near Brookmere Court.
Tyco animal control and police are now trying to find the furry mammal.
Police said that on Sunday, around 2:15 p.m., they got a separate report about a sick-looking raccoon crossing Meadowbrook Avenue.
Get Treated
"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 via a scratch or bite, is fatal unless they are treated quickly.
On Monday afternoon, police said, "Residents are reminded not to approach any raccoon that appears sick, injured, or is behaving unusually. Such sightings should be reported immediately to the Ridgewood Police Department at 201-652-3900.
"Anyone who believes they may have come into contact with the raccoon should call the police and seek medical attention without delay. If left untreated, rabies is almost always fatal."
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
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