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Raccoon Bites Woman In Central Park!
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jul 7, 2010
Modified Jul 7, 2010
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Jul 7, 2010
Modified Jul 7, 2010
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Just as the Parks Department publicly pat themselves on the back for practically ridding the city of rabid raccoons, a woman who was recently bit by a raccoon comes forward. Going by the name Elly, she told her story to Daily Intel.
In short, Elly had been sitting on a bench right on the 72nd Street Transverse, near the Mall and Bethesda Fountain, when a raccoon "literally snuck up behind me, walked under the bench, and bit me from behind." Stealth little guy for having a disease that attacks the central nervous system! Her ankle bleeding, some passerby stopped to help her out, and she eventually got to Lenox Hill Hospital (all the while thinking: "Am I going to die of rabies? Will I have to pay for this stupid ambulance ride?").
So what happens when you're bit by a rabid animal? Apparently you get a round of four rabies shots and a tetanus shot, on top of a Rabies Immune Globulin injected around the wound (described by Elly as "fucking painful"). Of course, there doesn't exactly seem to be proof that this raccoon was rabid, as it was never located after the incident; in her story, Elly says a woman helping her had declared: "I'm a chemist, so I know a healthy raccoon wouldn't be out during the day, and that's what worries me." However, it is a myth that healthy raccoons are never out in daylight, in fact, this could have been a healthy mother trying to find food for her babies.
The Parks Department had no comment on the incident when we reached them this morning, however, the Department of Health told us: "Wildlife is a feature of every habitat, including New York City. Raccoons, skunks, bats, stray dogs and cats can carry rabies... stay away from wild animals as our goal is to manage wildlife in a way that is safest for animals and people." So, uh, watch your ankles out there.
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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