Raccoon attacks and injures Cassia County infant

CASSIA COUNTY, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — A local infant is in the hospital after being attacked by a raccoon.

Idaho Fish and Game officers received a report on Monday night from the Cassia County Sheriff’s Office that an infant had been attacked in his own home.

The infant was in a carrier, and the child’s mother grabbed the raccoon to stop the attack, according to Idaho Fish and Game.

The parents took the child to Cassia Regional Hospital in Burley, where he was transferred to a hospital in Salt Lake City.

The father and a sheriff’s deputy returned to the home, found the raccoon still inside, and killed the animal.

It is unknown how the raccoon gained access to the home.

A rabies test was performed on the raccoon, and the results were negative, according to Idaho Fish and Game.

Once notified of the incident, the Magic Valley Region staff activated their Wildlife Human Attack Response Team.

The group attempts to identify, locate, and control animals involved in a human-wildlife incident and conduct, document, and report investigative findings.

While raccoon attacks on people are rare, officials said they can become aggressive if threatened.

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