Caught on CAMERA: Ashford mum escapes raccoon attack on daughter

ASHFORD, CT (WFSB) – An animal control officer reported a raccoon bit a child 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.

A surveillance camera captured the video of the incident:

It happened around 7:55 a.m. Friday morning.

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

Rylee MacNamara said she and her mother suffered some bite marks and scratches before her mother was able to get the animal off of her.

In a panic, Logan, Rylee’s mother, screams for help.

“It’s a rabid raccoon; call for help!” Logan said.

The raccoon fled into the woods after he threw it away.

It is not yet known if the animal was rabid.

“I thought maybe he stuck his finger in the door. I definitely didn’t expect to see a raccoon wrapped around his leg,” Logan said.

The two went to the hospital, received rabies shots, and returned home within a couple of hours.

“We kind of panicked at first. I was more scared than anything,” Logan said.

The neighbor, Jessica Gessay, is not surprised that this happened.

“These woods around here… I’m afraid of them. There are things out there. Animals, wild animals, things like that,” Jessica said.

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

Animal control spent Friday morning in the woods trying to locate the animal. However, it 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 vaccinations.

The Macnamaras also say their children won’t be able to leave on their own anytime soon.