Rabid bobcat attacks sleeping camper during youth trip at a Connecticut state park, officials say

By Claudia Dominguez and Ashley R. Williams, CNN

(CNN) — A rabid bobcat attacked a children’s camp leader as he slept in a hammock at a state park, according to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

The man was guiding an overnight youth camping expedition at Selden Neck State Park in Lyme at the time of the attack early Friday, the department said in an email Saturday.

He and two other adults, who are seasonal staff members of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families’ Wilderness School, killed the animal after the attack, authorities said.

“Due to their courageous and outstanding efforts, the safety of the youth was maintained, and they were not harmed,” Michael Williams, the department’s deputy commissioner, said in a statement to CNN.

The adults were later taken to a hospital for treatment. None of the other campers had contact with the bobcat, according to the statement.

Their expedition to the island park on the Connecticut River was led by the school, which is “a prevention, intervention and transition program for adolescents from Connecticut,” according to their website. The expeditions range from between one and 20 days, the statement said.

The group was in an authorized area for camping when the attack occurred, Williams said in the statement.

The bobcat’s remains were taken to a state public health laboratory, where the animal tested positive for rabies, according to the statement.

​​Bobcat attacks on humans are extremely rare, according to the department’s website.

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