Ah, spring!
For those of us who hibernate for the winter, except when it’s necessary to venture outside, that means becoming reacquainted with the great outdoors and all creatures great and small who lurk there.
Many critters find warm spaces to cuddle during the winter, too, and are only now beginning to wander beyond the confines of the nests, cubby holes, nooks and crevasses that kept them warm.
Nine-year-old Patrick Morrison of Dedham, Massachusetts seized an opportunity to flee the coop one recent Sunday, the first weekend of spring, for some time outdoors.
All was going well until Patrick crossed paths with a fox.
“It appeared out of nowhere from around the house,” Patrick told Boston’s WCVB-TV Channel 5. “The fox attacked me. I tried to run away from it and kick it away, but it just kept running back at me.”
It turns out the fox, which also attacked two dogs that spring Sunday, was rabid. Patrick was bitten on the arm and received “a couple of scratches on his butt,” according to his brother Michael.
Patrick and the dogs were treated for rabies and are expected to be fine.
MassWildlife says foxes are “common and abundant” in Massachusetts. While foxes don’t hibernate, they mate in January and February and begin to build dens in late winter and early spring.
MassWildlife says, “Foxes can thrive close to humans in suburban and urban areas.” Foxes usually don’t bother humans but require food, water, and shelter so they might feel right at home on your property.
MassWildlife has tips on its website for discouraging foxes from settling near your home. As usual, when dealing with wildlife, you should not feed foxes.
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