Mother in Ashford fends off raccoon that attacked her daughter

ASHFORD, CT (WFSB) – An animal control officer reported a child was bitten by a raccoon in Ashford.

“He was wrapping his arms around my leg,” she explained. “It really hurt.”

State Police said they responded to the incident on Fitts Road to assist the officer.

Video of the incident was captured by a surveillance camera:

It happened Friday around 7:55 a.m.

“I was walking out to get on the bus and a raccoon was there and tried to attack me,” said Rylee MacNamara, 5, of Ashford. “He didn’t want to come off my leg.”

Rylee MacNamara said she and her mother suffered bite marks and scratches before her mother was able to snatch the animal from her.

Panicked, Logan, Rylee’s mother, screams for help.

“It’s a rabid raccoon, get help!” Logan said.

The raccoon ran off into the woods after throwing it away.

It is not yet known whether the animal was rabid.

“I thought maybe she slammed the door with her finger. I really didn’t expect to see a raccoon wrapped around his leg,” Logan said.

The two men went to the hospital, received rabies shots and returned home a few hours later.

“At first we panicked a little. I was more scared than anything,” Logan said.

Neighbor Jessica Gessay isn’t surprised this is happening.

“These woods around here… I fear them. There are things here. Animals, wild animals, things like that,” Jessica said.

“It’s concerning that it’s so close to our homes,” added Dave Frank, of Ashford.

Animal control spent Friday morning in the woods trying to find the animal. However, he was nowhere to be found.

The Macnamaras could take matters into their own hands by setting traps around the house.

Rylee and Logan will return to the hospital every other day for the next two weeks to receive more injections.

The Macnamaras also say their children will no longer be allowed to go out alone in the near future.

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