A five-year-old girl was attacked by a raccoon in Ashford, Connecticut, while she was preparing to board her school bus. The incident occurred around 7:55 a.m. on a Friday morning on Fitts Road, leaving the young girl, Rylee MacNamara, with bite marks and scratches.
Rylee described the frightening encounter, stating, “It was wrapping its arms around my leg. It really hurt.” Her mother, Logan, who witnessed the attack, reacted swiftly, managing to pull the raccoon off her daughter after a struggle. In a state of panic, she called for help, exclaiming, “It’s a rabid raccoon, get some help!” Fortunately, the raccoon fled into nearby woods after being thrown off.
Both Rylee and her mother sought medical attention and received rabies shots as a precaution, returning home just a few hours later. Logan expressed her shock, saying she initially thought her daughter had injured herself by slamming her finger in a door and was not prepared to see a raccoon clinging to her leg.
Neighbors in the area expressed concern about wildlife encounters, with Jessica Gessay noting her fears of wild animals in the woods surrounding their homes. Dave Frank, another local resident, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the unsettling nature of such an incident occurring so close to residential areas.
In response to the attack, animal control officers searched the woods on the morning following the incident in an attempt to locate the raccoon, but their efforts were unsuccessful. The MacNamara family is considering setting traps around their home to prevent further encounters and has decided to keep their children indoors for the time being.
Rylee and Logan are scheduled to return to the hospital every few days for follow-up shots, as they continue to recover from the unexpected and alarming incident.