Illegally Housed Rabid Raccoon Bites Two People

Kennebunkport Police say a rabid raccoon bit the person who was trying to help it and the game warden who came to take it away.

The resident had taken the raccoon into their home and was trying to nurse it back to health, with no idea that it was rabid. But, in the course of trying to do what they perceived as a humane thing, they were bitten several times. Finally, the resident called the Maine Warden Service for help, but the responding warden was also bitten. The illegally housed raccoon was examined and tested positive for rabies and so both the resident and the warden will need to undergo rabies treatments.

Now, Kennebunkport Police have taken to the department's Facebook page to issue a reminder that wild animals are meant to be left alone in their own habitat. People should never touch wild animals because it could cause the animal to become aggressive. In the event of a problem, the Maine Warden Service is the agency that should be contacted for wild animals that are injured or become a nuisance. But the best advice is to never, ever take wild animals into your home.