ASHFORD, Conn — A video capturing the moment a raccoon attacked a girl in Ashford on Friday morning is going viral.
The outdoor camera that points to the front porch captured the attack at 7:45 a.m.
The raccoon could be seen latched onto the girl's leg, and the girl can be heard screaming as she tries to shake and drag the animal off of her.
The girl's mother then runs outside and grabs the raccoon by the neck.
"Go inside, go inside!" the woman says to her child as she holds the door open with one hand and the raccoon in another.
The woman then tosses the raccoon into the front yard and goes back inside the house.
After a few seconds, the raccoon walks away along the side of the house.
The girl's mother posted the video to Facebook later that morning, saying her child wanted to "show everyone what the raccoon did."
The family said in its Facebook post that they are going to get checked for rabies. They said the attack was "unprovoked".
"I can’t tell you how proud I am of this Brave girl!" the mother said of her child.
It is not known if the raccoon carries rabies. The mother and child both got the rabies shot after the incident, according to an update on Facebook.
"The mother behaved in a way that was very heroic. I think she did everything correctly by avoiding getting bit and warning the neighbor to stay back and getting the child to safety," said Geoff Krukar, a wildlife biologist for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
Krukar said the raccoon in the video does appear to be sick.
There are some signs people should be aware of. And though they are nocturnal animals, seeing raccoons during the day doesn’t always mean they have rabies.
"If they see a raccoon that is acting abnormally, that could be frothing at the mouth, pursuing them, getting in close proximity, they should definitely report that to the authorities," Krukar said.
The raccoon has not yet been captured, according to Ashford Animal Control. State Police Troop C also responded to the incident.
If/when the raccoon is captured, it can not be relocated due to the possibility of carrying rabies, according to DEEP's website.
DEEP advises homeowners to prevent problems with raccoons and other wildlife by securing garbage cans, feeding pets indoors, and refraining from feeding and touching wild animals.
Leah Myers is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at lmyers@fox61.com
Gaby Molina is a reporter and anchor at FOX61 News. She can be reached at mmolina@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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