Who knew – a rabid-fox bite is “actually a really good sign,” according to a D.C. Department of Health spokeswoman. After a local woman was attacked by a fox while walking in a park with her baby, the Washington Post reported that city officials “saw it as confirmation that the District’s environment is improving, making it more inviting to wildlife, even an occasional sick one.”
While there is no official count for the number of foxes in the city, officials are encouraged by the increasing number of sightings, along with other anecdotal evidence. Residents, on the other hand, are concerned that the foxes may be responsible for pet attacks and the neighborhoods’ dwindling rabbit population.
But Scott Giacoppo, a spokesman for the Washington Humane Society, said residents “need to practice a little tolerance and patience with [the foxes].” “We are forcing them to live in our world,” he added. “They don’t want to be with us. If they had their way, we would not be around.”
The attacked woman received a series of rabies shots and is okay. Meanwhile, the fox was eventually caught by animal control and put down. No word from city officials yet if removing a rabid animal was a “good sign” for D.C.’s human population.