The Gardiner Police Department is warning residents of Central and High Holborn streets to stay away from wild animals that appear to be looking or acting unusually and to report any of those contacts to police.

The announcement is posted on the department’s Facebook page, which also says, “A neighborhood resident was recently bitten by a fox that displayed some variant behaviors. The resident is okay, but we would still like residents and visitors of this area to use caution and be mindful of foxes, raccoons, and other animals behaving abnormally.”

Gardiner Police Chief James Toman on Thursday described the resident as a “youth” who was “between the ages of 3 and 13” and said the bite occurred about 7 p.m. Wednesday. Toman also said it is unknown whether the fox is rabid because it is still at large.

The child bitten is undergoing treatment as recommended by the healthcare provider.

Toman declined to provide further details about the individual who was bitten.

He said the fox acted strangely.

“It doesn’t come out and try to latch onto you unless something’s going on,” Toman said.

The Facebook posting includes an article titled “Understanding Rabies.”

Gardiner police say sightings of animals appearing to look or behaving strangely should be reported to the Augusta Regional Communications Center at 624-7076 so a Gardiner police officer or a game warden can respond.

Copy the Story Link