Rock chuck latches onto 6-year-old girl’s finger

You see them in your neighborhood, and around town; they’re known to be harmless. But a recent report of a 6-year-old being bitten by a rock chuck, or marmot, has one local mother wanting something done about the nuisances.

Wednesday afternoon, Kayla Bradshaw was outside her home in Idaho Falls. Her daughter was walking their Yorkshire terrier on a sidewalk when a rock chuck appeared on a neighbor’s front lawn. The marmot went after the dog, and Bradshaw’s daughter immediately picked the dog up.

“In the process of doing that, she was bitten by this fairly large rock chuck,” said Bradshaw.

The rock chuck latched onto her daughter’s finger for a few seconds.

“I ran to my daughter,” Bradshaw said. “At that point, we kind of had to struggle to get the rock chuck off the finger.”

Bradshaw saw blood and called a doctor immediately.

“It kind of was a laughing matter,” Bradshaw said. “Nobody believed me because they have never heard of a rock chuck biting.”

Eventually, a doctor decided that the girl needed to receive a rabies treatment.

Bradshaw wanted something done and contacted Idaho Fish and Game.

“We got her the information from our state wildlife veterinarian, Dr. Mark Drew, so he can talk to her about diseases and things that can be transmitted,” explained James Brower of the Idaho Fish and Game Commission. “Anytime you get bit by an animal, you need to go to the doctor.”

Idaho Fish and Game officials say that there are no rabies to be concerned of, at least in land animals. The department says that this was the only time it has gotten a report of someone being bitten by a marmot.

Bradshaw also never heard of a rock chuck hurting someone, but these animals have been a nuisance in her neighborhood for years.

“My neighbors have lived here for 30 years and it’s been an ongoing battle,” Bradshaw said. “They just let it go because nothing has been done.”

So far no one has come on to check out the problem in the neighborhood. Fish and Game officials say that Bradshaw has not given an exact location to check.

“I told them it was an empty lot, there was a metal steel building, plate company there and the railroad’s tracks were right here,” said Bradshaw.

For now, Bradshaw wants to warn everyone to be safe around wild animals.

“You need to keep an eye on your children because it happened within seconds and minutes,” said Bradshaw.

Fish and Game says it has traps available to check out to trap and catch these rodents.

Bradshaw says she has also reached out to Boise to do something about the problem, but so far nothing has been done.