Raccoon crawled into home and attacks infant in Idaho

A confused mom found her toddler son attacked by a raccoon that had sneaked into their Idaho home and successfully fought back an unlikely visitor on holiday.

A mother called the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) and the Cassia County Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 23 after hearing a “loud noise inside the house” and discovering a raccoon attacking her boy, Idaho Fish and Game shared in the press release.

Authorities said the mother was able to grab the furry intruder to save her son.

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Idaho Fish and Game said a wild raccoon snuck into the home and attacked the infant. (Idaho Fish and Game)

The child was taken to Cassia Regional Hospital in Burley for unexplained injuries before being transferred to a hospital in Salt Lake City.

According to officials, a sheriff’s deputy returned to the home with the baby’s father, located the animal and killed it.

The IDFG noted that it was unclear how the raccoon entered the home and that there were no other raccoons inside.

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The Idaho Bureau of Laboratories tested the animal’s carcass for rabies and the results were negative, according to the release.

“When notified of the incident, staff from the Magic Valley region activated their Wilderness Assault Response Team,” IDFG wrote. “This specially trained team of department personnel has the responsibility to act to protect the safety of the public and incident responders; to attempt to identify, locate and control the animal(s) involved in incident between humans and wild animals; and conduct, document and report the findings of the investigation.”

Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals that is most often transmitted to humans through the bite of a rabid animal. (iStock)

The agency noted that raccoon attacks on humans in the state are “extremely rare” and that only one case of raccoon rabies has been reported documented in Idaho.

The IDFG instructed Idahoans to “never intentionally feed a raccoon,” saying they generally avoid humans unless they feel “threatened.”

“As with all wildlife found around homes in Idaho, the best course of action to avoid encounters with raccoons is to take preventative action before the problem starts,” the department wrote. “Raccoons can live in a variety of habitats, but will be attracted to an area with access to water and food.

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“A homeowner can limit food sources by securing household trash, removing fallen or rotten fruit from your yard or garden, feeding pets indoors, keeping pet food in a safe place, and removing or securing bird feeders,” IDFG added. . “Blocking raccoon access to hiding places in sheds and outbuildings and sealing off potential entrances and exits in and around the home will also discourage raccoon use.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to IDFG for comment.