Two people are receiving treatment for rabies after being bitten by the same fox in two separate incidents in a North Carolina town.
What’s happening?
Authorities are investigating two separate attacks carried out by the same fox on the same day. The incidents, which took place in Aberdeen in Moore County, occurred on Aug. 11 at 8:05 a.m. and 8:35 a.m. on two separate streets, per USA Today.
Animal services deputies were dispatched to collect the fox responsible for both attacks. It was sent to a state laboratory, where it tested positive for rabies, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields said in the news release that both victims had received medical treatment and were expected to make a full recovery, per USA Today.
Residents in the Aberdeen area were asked by law enforcement to stay alert and use caution around wild animals. People who come across wildlife that is acting strange or aggressive should “stay on guard” because there could be other infected animals close by, according to WildlifeHelp.org.
Why is this important?
Human-animal conflicts like these have been increasing in recent years because of a number of reasons. These include human population growth, habitat destruction, and resource shortages caused by climate change. As our towns and cities expand, they destroy wildlife habitat, causing the amount of suitable habitat left to decrease. This can force some wildlife into towns to search for food and other resources.
Smaller habitats also mean that animals are more likely to come into contact with sick wildlife, which facilitates the spread of diseases such as rabies. Smaller habitats also make it more likely that sick wildlife will come into contact with humans or domesticated animals such as farm animals or dogs, causing an increase in the spread of diseases.
What’s being done about protecting wildlife habitats?
Protecting wildlife habitats helps create more space for wildlife. There are many projects globally that are restoring natural environments, providing suitable habitat for wildlife, and restoring their populations. These healthy environments protect biodiversity, which makes entire ecosystems more resilient to pathogens, thus reducing the spread of diseases such as rabies.
Habitat restoration also reduces the number of animals that come into contact with people, as they don’t need to venture into human settlements to look for food or other resources. This decreases the risk of disease spreading and helps reduce dangerous human-wildlife interactions.
Habitat restoration also helps mitigate the impacts of human-induced climate change, which protects both people and wildlife while cooling the planet.
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