Vicious Raccoon Attack In Arlington: Report

ARLINGTON, VA — A group of raccoons attacked a man as he tried to leave his house in the Fairlington neighborhood, according to multiple residents -- the same place were raccoons were reported attacking people last year.

One resident posted on the Fairlington Appreciation Society Facebook page that two raccoons attacked her husband on their front porch on 28th Street S Wednesday morning, and "stitches may be required." Animal control was called, but they could not find the raccoons.

One of the raccoons bit the man on the leg, and the other tried to get into the house. He had to get a rabies shot and an x-ray of his fingers, the woman said.

Another resident witnessed the incident, saying they heard yelling from the front porch and saw three raccoons.

"No trash in the immediate area," he wrote. "They seemed to be camping under the bush by his front door."

The attacks happened in the same area as a pair of raccoon attacks in the summer of 2016. In one incident, raccoons jumped on a woman and mauled her as she took out the trash, sending her to the hospital. In another, a woman was attacked while on her patio. She also had to go to the hospital with injuries to her arm and legs.

Animal experts advise people to keep their distance with raccoons, even when they appear friendly and docile. A raccoon that approaches a human aggressively or does not seem fearful of humans may have rabies.

Image via U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service