A New Hampshire man who came face-to-face with a bizarrely aggressive animal now says he is convinced the creature terrorizing people in the area is a fox, as police continue searching for the wild animal.
Zack Howard, who lives in Enfield, NH, had just gotten out of his U-Haul truck Sunday in the parking lot of FitKids ChildCare near Centerra Parkway in Lebanon when the animal suddenly rushed toward him.
“The way just it looked with the tail and kind of that orange underbelly, it was 100% a fox in my mind,” Howard told News 9.
Security video showed the small gray animal — suspected in three attacks in the same area over a two-day span — snatching Howard’s bag before circling back and biting him on the foot and leg.
“I’m trying to shake it off,” Howard recalled. “And if those security cameras had audio, you would hear me actually yell at it. I said, ‘Dude, let go. I don’t want to kick you,’ and it didn’t let go, so I just had to kick it off.”
The bite did not break Howard’s skin, but it did puncture his running shoe. Since the unnerving encounter, he has received multiple rounds of rabies shots.
“If anything, the six shots in the foot hurt worse than anything the fox caused,” Howard said.
Surveillance footage also showed Howard’s girlfriend rushing out of her office as the animal ran off. Howard said he was unable to get back into his truck during the attack and ultimately had to fight back.
“If there’s no other option, fight is sometimes a better choice than flight in an attack,” he said.
New Hampshire Fish and Game officials have not confirmed what type of animal is responsible for the attacks. Early reports suggested a fox or fisher cat.
No additional attacks have been reported.
“We’ve been here fairly regularly throughout the week, trying to hopefully run into the creature and see if we can figure out what it is,” Lt. James Kneeland told News 9.
Red and gray foxes are common in western New Hampshire, but Fish and Game officials said the animal’s behavior is unusual and could indicate illness.
“That (behavior) wouldn’t be normal for a healthy wild animal,” Kneeland said.
The Lebanon Police Department earlier this week urged residents, employees and visitors to stay away from any wild animal acting aggressively or unusually.
“Do not approach, attempt to capture, feed, or otherwise interact with the animal,” police said.
Police also warned of potential rabies exposure, urging anyone bitten or scratched by a wild animal to thoroughly wash the area with soap and water and seek immediate medical care.
