Raccoon attacked infant in home
The following is a news release from Idaho Fish and Game
CASSIA COUNTY, Idaho (IDFG) – On the evening of December 23, 2024, Idaho Fish and Game officers received a report from the Cassia County Sheriff that an infant had been attacked and injured by a raccoon in his parents’ home. Officers from both agencies responded and determined the infant was in an infant carrier while the mother was settling in after returning home. She heard a loud noise in the home and ran to the infant’s location. The mother found a raccoon attacking her infant. She was able to grab the animal to stop the attack.
It is unknown how the raccoon gained access to the home.
The infant was taken by the parents to Cassia Regional Hospital in Burley for treatment of undisclosed injuries and then transferred to a hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The father of the infant and a sheriff’s deputy returned to the home, found the raccoon still in the home and killed it.
No other raccoons were found in the home.
Fish and Game is confident that the raccoon killed by the infants’ father was the one involved in the attack.
Fish and Game took possession of the raccoon carcass and coordinated with staff from South Central Public Health District to get the raccoon tested for rabies. Fish and Game staff transported the carcass to Boise for testing by the Idaho Bureau of Laboratories.
The rabies test was negative.
Fish and Game activates response team
Once notified of the incident, staff from the Magic Valley Region activated their Wildlife Human Attack Response Team (WHART).
This specially trained team of department staff has the responsibility to act to protect the safety of the public and incident responders; attempt to identify, locate, and control the animal(s) involved in a human-wildlife incident; and conduct, document and report investigative findings.
Raccoon attacks on people are rare
While raccoons are a common species across Idaho, reports of attacks on humans are extremely rare. And while raccoons have a reputation as a potential carrier of rabies, only one case of raccoon rabies has been documented in Idaho.
Raccoons are generally shy and will typically avoid humans, but they can become aggressive if they feel threatened.
As with all wildlife that can be found around homes in Idaho, the best course of action to avoid raccoon encounters is to take preventative actions before a problem starts. Raccoons can live in a variety of habitats, but an area with access to water and food will attract them.
Never purposefully feed a raccoon.
A homeowner can limit food sources by securing residential garbage, removing any fallen fruit or rotten produce from your yard or garden, feeding pets indoors, keeping pet food securely stored, and removing or securing bird feeders. Blocking raccoon access to hiding places in sheds and outbuildings and sealing off potential entryways and exits in and around a home will also discourage raccoon use.
