About a month ago, a 6 year old boy in Elmwood Park was assaulted by a raccoon who had run out from behind. The small boy was attacked on his way to school while walking with his mother when the raccoon jumped on him and started biting and tearing at his face. A man driving by used a painter’s pole to get the raccoon off of the child, and the raccoon was tested for rabies.
Raccoons are not generally aggressive unless threatened, especially in the daytime. Unusual activity and odd waking hours are often signs of rabies. Raccoons are among the most common carriers of rabies. If you see a wild animal, keep children and pets away from it.