Arizona, like many western states, sees a number of animal attacks every year. Most of these can be attributed to rabies, as opposed to aggressive behavior or hunger, and as the weather gets warmer the rabid animals really start to show up.
Last year in this area we had two rabid fox attacks in February, a rabid bobcat attack in March ("so this bobcat walks into a bar . . ."), and another rabid bobcat attack in April. Following in late 2009 would be a man who strangled a bobcat to death when the rabid animal jumped him while the man hooked up his boat at a local lake. Every person in every attack I just listed reacted differently; some with fear, some with determination, some with stupidity. This year is looking to be no different.
Nearly two weeks ago a man in Walker, just up the road from my town of Prescott Valley, was allegedly attacked by a mountain lion when he went outside to turn off his water after dark. You can read the story here and then read the aftermath and killing of a nearby mountain lion here. I say that he was allegedly attacked because Arizona Game and Fish Wildlife Managers were unable to determine whether or not a mountain lion had attacked him at his home. The man's injuries and the lion's behavior were also not consistant with a mountain lion attack; however I can do nothing but believe the man's story since I was not there when it happened. Aside from that and assuming that it really happened the way the man says, he made a fatal error when he encountered the lion - he turned and ran for his house. Bad move. An animal's predatory instinct will nearly always be triggered when you turn and run like a typical prey animal, and if the animal has rabies then it will make it that much worse since the animal's aggression will be much higher than normal, and the regard for its own safety will be lower than normal. Running may be an option if you are mere feet from your house or car, but if the animal is closer to you than you are to safety, then you're probably not going to make it if it decides to attack.
It is as of yet unknown if this lion was rabid, but whatever the animal's health you need to stand your ground and make yourself to appear as large as possible. Put your arms out, wave them, and get loud. If you can appear more menacing and dangerous than they are, then you will often frighten them away. This may not be the case if they are rabid, however, as they will often not retreat and may become more aggressive, attacking without warning. A rabid animal will appear confused, lethargic, and may be heavily panting or growling. Nocturnal animals, such as foxes, will become suddenly active in the daytime, and their fear of humans will be all but gone. If you find yourself squaring off with a rabid animal, then your best option is to fight. Running, as we've already determined, is not an option. If you have a firearm, then prepare to use it, but if you lack a firearm then you need to find a weapon. A knife, a rock, even a big stick will enable you to defend yourself if needed. First-aid scissors or a writing pen may be used as improvised weapons if you have them in your pack or in your pockets - even your pack itself may be used as a weapon or as a shield.
Our first official rabid animal attack for this year in Yavapai County comes from Cottonwood, a town just a half hour away from where I live. You can read the news story here about the fox who attacked a woman after attempting to attack two other people nearby and then being fended off with a clipboard by a UPS driver. There may or may not have been anything this woman could have done to avoid being bitten, as it seems the fox caught her by surprise. However, the woman's husband said that they knew the fox was active next door and that it had begun to act strangely the last few days. Had they called animal control with that observation, his wife could have avoided a nasty situation and the joy that is the rabies vaccine treatment.
My point here is that you need to maintain situational awareness when you are in the outdoors or even in your own neighborhood. Wildlife, and especially predators, can adapt easily to living amongst humans, and we need to be aware of their activity and their behavior. Bats, skunks, raccoons, and household pets are the most common carriers of rabies, a virus for which there is no cure. There are prevention measures and certainly there is a vaccine which can eliminate rabies if given within the incubation period, and you should always seek treatment immediately if you feel you've been bitten by a rabid animal. It is especially important to inform your kids about the possibility of rabid animals and what they should do if they think they encounter one.
You should never be scared to go into the outdoors, but you should always be informed about and prepared for what you may encounter.
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