A New Hampshire resident who clashed with a mysterious animal suspected of terrorizing locals believes that a fox is behind the various attacks — as police hunt for the wild creature.
Zack Howard, of Enfield, NH, had just stepped out of his U-Haul truck Sunday in the FitKids ChildCare parking lot near Centerra Parkway in Lebanon when the strange, aggressive animal charged at him.
“The way just it looked with the tail and kind of that orange underbelly, it was 100% a fox in my mind,” Howard told News 9.
Surveillance footage captured the small, gray creature — believed to be behind three attacks in the same area over two days — grabbing Howard’s bag before it returned to bite his foot and leg.
“I’m trying to shake it off,” Howard recalled. “And if those security cameras had audio, you would hear me actually yell at it. I said, ‘Dude, let go. I don’t want to kick you,’ and it didn’t let go, so I just had to kick it off.”
The bite did not draw blood but punctured Howard’s running shoe. He has since undergone multiple rounds of rabies shots after the terrifying encounter.
“If anything, the six shots in the foot hurt worse than anything the fox caused,” Howard said.
Howard’s girlfriend was filmed running out of her office as the animal darted away in surveillance video. Howard said he couldn’t get back into his truck and had to retaliate.
“If there’s no other option, fight is sometimes a better choice than flight in an attack,” he said.
New Hampshire Fish and Game officials have not confirmed what type of animal is responsible for the attacks. Early reports suggested a fox or fisher cat.
No additional attacks have been reported.
“We’ve been here fairly regularly throughout the week, trying to hopefully run into the creature and see if we can figure out what it is,” Lt. James Kneeland told News 9.
Red and gray foxes are common in western New Hampshire, but Fish and Game officials said the animal’s behavior is unusual and could indicate illness.
“That (behavior) wouldn’t be normal for a healthy wild animal,” Kneeland said.
The Lebanon Police Department earlier this week urged residents, employees and visitors to stay away from any wild animal acting aggressively or unusually.
“Do not approach, attempt to capture, feed, or otherwise interact with the animal,” police said.
Police also warned of potential rabies exposure, urging anyone bitten or scratched by a wild animal to thoroughly wash the area with soap and water and seek immediate medical care.
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