An unidentified wild animal has attacked at least three people in the same New Hampshire neighborhood within days, and authorities still aren’t certain exactly what it is.
What Happened
Between August 30 and 31, the Lebanon Police Department received three separate reports of animal attacks in the Centerra Parkway area of Lebanon, roughly 122 miles northwest of Boston. Police believe the same animal is responsible for all three, and described the attacks as unprovoked.
Video released by police shows the moment of one attack: the animal darts out of a wooded area as a person walks around a moving truck, then goes after their legs, striking multiple times before the person manages to fling it off and it retreats back into the woods.
Nobody Has Positively Identified the Animal Yet
Witnesses have described it as either a gray fox or a fisher — a nocturnal, elusive member of the weasel family found throughout forests in the Northeast, Pacific Northwest, and Great Lakes states, according to Defenders of Wildlife. But as of the most recent update, Lebanon Police Chief Phillip Roberts confirmed officers have not personally observed the animal themselves, and a New Hampshire Fish and Game conservation officer said witness accounts have varied enough that a definitive ID isn’t possible yet — though officials remain confident it’s the same animal behind all three incidents.
Rabies cannot actually be confirmed until an animal is caught (or found dead) and tested, which is part of why authorities are being cautious about jumping to conclusions on both species and infection status.
Why Rabies Is the Real Concern Here
Unprovoked aggression toward humans from an otherwise elusive, typically human-avoidant species like a fisher or gray fox is exactly the kind of behavioral red flag the CDC associates with rabies. The virus spreads through bites, scratches, or contact between infected saliva and an open wound, eyes, nose, or mouth — and while treatable if caught early, it is close to universally fatal once symptoms actually appear.
As a precaution, New Hampshire Fish and Game recommended the victim of the first attack undergo rabies post-exposure treatment even though he wasn’t visibly injured, according to the Valley News — a reminder that any contact with a wild animal behaving this way is taken seriously regardless of whether it leaves a visible wound.
What Officials Are Asking the Public to Do
- Do not approach, feed, or attempt to capture the animal under any circumstances.
- Move to a safe location immediately if you see a fox, fisher, or other wild animal acting aggressively, unusually, or approaching people.
- Be especially alert near wooded or brush-covered areas in the Centerra Parkway area specifically.
- Report any sighting, attack, bite, or scratch directly to the Lebanon Police Department.
- If bitten or scratched, wash the area thoroughly with soap and water immediately and seek medical care right away — don’t wait to see if symptoms develop.
Anyone with questions about rabies exposure can contact the New Hampshire Bureau of Infectious Disease Control at 603-271-4496, and sightings of a potentially rabid animal can be reported to New Hampshire Fish and Game dispatch at 603-271-3361.
How Post-Exposure Treatment Works
Rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) consists of a series of four to five vaccine doses administered as soon as possible after suspected exposure. According to the CDC, the treatment is nearly 100% effective at preventing the virus from developing — but only if it’s started before symptoms appear, since there is no effective treatment once the disease has progressed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell a gray fox apart from a fisher? Gray foxes have a distinctive grizzled gray coat with reddish accents and a black-tipped tail, while fishers are larger, dark brown to black, and built low to the ground like an oversized weasel — though at a glance during a fast-moving encounter, even trained observers have had difficulty distinguishing the two in this case.
Is it common for foxes or fishers to attack humans unprovoked? No — both species are naturally elusive and typically avoid humans entirely, which is exactly why repeated unprovoked attacks are considered a significant red flag for possible rabies infection.
What should I do if my pet is bitten or scratched by a wild animal? Contact your veterinarian immediately and avoid handling the wound without protection, since infected saliva can pose a risk to humans as well — pets should also be current on rabies vaccination as a baseline precaution.
Sources: Lebanon Police Department, Valley News, Boston.com, KTLA, and CDC guidance on rabies, cited above.
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