Bobcat with rabies breaks into home and attacks man, cops say. ‘Very rare and unusual’
A Vermont home was invaded by a rabid bobcat that bit the homeowner before being trapped in a bathroom, police said.
Windsor police were called to a home on a report of an animal bite on May 13, a news release said.
According to residents of the home, the bobcat entered and bit the homeowner before “being trapped in a bathroom,” the release said.
Officers trapped the animal between two rooms in the home, and confirmed it was a bobcat. With guidance from Vermont Fish and Wildlife, officials determined the bobcat would need to be put down, police said.
Lab testing after the animal was euthanized revealed it had rabies.
The attacked homeowner was given medical assistance and additional treatment following the rabies discovery, officials said.
“This is a very rare and unusual circumstance. In fact, I’ve never seen this happen before in my career where it gained entry into someone’s home and then made contact with a person,” Chief Jennifer Frank with Windsor Police Department told WMUR. “This just happened to be an unusual set of circumstances.”
This story was originally published May 17, 2022 at 3:27 PM with the headline "Bobcat with rabies breaks into home and attacks man, cops say. ‘Very rare and unusual’."
