5-year-old boy wrestled rabid fox

CHARLOTTE OBSERVER ^ | Jul. 04, 2007 | JOSH LANIER

[george76]

A 5-year-old Cleveland County boy pinned a rabid fox to the ground at a Sunday cookout, allowing six other children to run to safety.

"I wanted to protect my little brother," said Rayshun McDowell, who encountered the animal while the children were playing in the front yard of his Kingstown home. The fox bit him on the leg, and the 61-pound boy pinned the lunging animal for more than a minute until his stepfather could rush to help him.

"I looked out the window and Rayshun had the fox by the neck and was pushing it into the ground," said his mother, Shinda Linder. "I couldn't believe what I was seeing."

Cleveland County Animal Control officials confirmed Tuesday that the fox was rabid and that Rayshun is receiving treatment.

Earlier that day, a fox attacked a 6-year-old girl only a few streets away from Rayshun's home. Officials didn't know whether it was the same fox, but the girl is undergoing rabies treatment as well.

Rabies is a fatal virus that attacks the nervous system of mammals. It's spread through saliva and contact with the brain tissue of an infected animal. Cleveland County health official Sam Lockridge said symptoms can lie dormant in humans for up to six months, but will arise almost immediately in animals.

Rayshun's stepfather, Ryan Thompson, pulled the boy off the animal and kicked it. A neighbor fired three times with a handgun but the fox continued to advance.

"I had to hit it in the head with a stick I found in the yard to finally kill it," Thompson said. Thompson, in a cast with a broken leg, at one point struck the fox with his crutch.

Lockridge said the virus causes strange behavior in animals and they may continue to attack even after they're wounded.

[george76]

The neighbor may need some more range time ?

.

[Pontiac]

A shotgun would be more appropriate for a small moving target like a fox. Especially when the animal it is not showing you a profile, like when it is attacking.

[xJones]

Rayshun said he's not sure why he did what he did except that he was thinking of protecting 2-year-old Ryan.

"I knew he needed help," he said. "I just did it."

That's a really good kid - and brother.

[Hegemony Cricket]

Way to go, Rayshun!

[george76]

“I wanted to protect my little brother,” said Rayshun McDowell...

[BIGLOOK]

A few years ago, my brother and his Doberman were cornered by a rabid skunk on his back porch. He grabbed the dog and pulled it into the house and fetched his 357 S&W and shot at it running around at his feet.......and never hit it. Reloaded and got off a lucky shot.

Called Animal Control and when they arrived they confirmed the skunk had rabies and told him he had to get treatment for rabies. Didn't matter that the skunk never bit him.

Then he had to replace lumber on the porch deck.

[george76]

Thanks.

I thought that they had to break the skin.

Is it also transmitted thru the air ?

I guess it is always best to be safe with rabies.

[BIGLOOK]

Transference through saliva, dander which has had contact with saliva can be inhaled; thus it can be transmitted through the air.

Animal Control thought the proximity and time duration was too much to risk.

Where we lived as kids, rabid animals could be spotted far away......a fox, a skunk or an opossum, because they'd be hanging around in places where you wouldn't normally see them or split once they saw you.

[bvw]

A 22 Ruger would have been easier to bring to bear to fire at such a quick moving target. Otherwise with a big banger your wrist and musckles (muscle memory, pre-tensioning) are fighting against the movement of a targeted shot.

[BIGLOOK]

My little brother was the shooter......I would have whacked it with a shovel. Fore!

(Used to hunt chucks and varmints for farmers as a kid. A .22 worked fine.)

[bvw]

Did it skreech? Last rabid skunk I saw a some years ago barked with some infernal high-pitched long shriek.

[Rightfootforward]

Prayers for both the children. From what I understand rabies treatment is quite painful.

[george76]

Painful and lots of shots.

I believe that there were 21 into the stomach, but likely less now.

Still alot but better than the disease.