Rabid fox came ‘out of nowhere,’ attacked people at shopping plaza, GA officials say
A fox suspected in at least two attacks on shoppers at a busy shopping center in Georgia has been euthanized after testing positive for rabies, according to local animal officials.
The positive rabies case was confirmed Wednesday after the animal was caught July 10 near Stonecrest, a city about 20 miles east of Atlanta, officials with DeKalb County Animal Enforcement said in a news release.
The capture came one day after officials said a man was attacked and bitten on the foot as he was leaving an American Deli restaurant near The Mall at Stonecrest.
Tia Babb, who witnessed the attack, told WSB-TV the “animal went berserk” in the July 9 incident and sunk its teeth into the man’s lower leg.
“The fox just jumped on him,” Babb said, according to the news station. “Out of nowhere. He just jumped on the man. The man was screaming, kicking off his shoes and trying to fight the fox off.”
Animal control was called, officials said, but the fox was gone by the time they arrived.
Another fox was spotted the next day on July 10 at a nearby Walmart shopping center plaza, where it reportedly charged at delivery drivers, WSB-TV reported. It was later captured by animal enforcement officers that day.
On July 11 — one day after the fox was caught — DeKalb County Animal Enforcement said it received a third call about another fox in the area by the shopping plaza and later set up a trap.
Officials said its possible there’s a den with multiple foxes and have since contacted the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for assistance.
The Peach State is home to two types of foxes: the red fox and the gray fox, according to the Georgia Resources Wildlife Division. They can weigh up to 14 pounds and typically feed on small mammals, berries and acorns.
Spotting them isn’t unusual , but conflict can arise when sharing space with humans, experts say.
Foxes can also carry rabies and other diseases that are passed from animal to animal — or animal to human.
To avoid wildlife conflicts, experts recommend cleaning up garbage and food waste that could attract animals; closing off crawl spaces; and feeding pets inside whenever possible. Residents should also be sure their pets are up to date on their vaccinations, DeKalb Animal Enforcement said.
This story was originally published July 16, 2021 at 11:46 AM with the headline "Rabid fox came ‘out of nowhere,’ attacked people at shopping plaza, GA officials say."