Pet raccoon scratches 5-year-old boy, requiring emergency surgery, Utah officials say
Utah wildlife officials are warning families about the dangers of keeping wild animals as pets after a mishap with a raccoon last month sent a child into emergency surgery.
The boy, 5, was “significantly scratched by a family’s pet raccoon” on Dec. 11 in Uintah County, with injuries that needed emergency treatment, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources officials said in a news release on Thursday.
But treating wild animals as household pets isn’t just dangerous — it’s also illegal, state officials warned: Animal control officers and police can seize wild animals that owners aren’t permitted to have, and offenders can be cited for a misdemeanor for illegally possessing the animals. That rule covers animals such as raccoons, striped skunks, coyotes and red foxes, officials said.
“It’s important to protect the health, welfare and safety of the public, as well as other terrestrial wildlife,” said Tonya Kieffer-Selby, outreach manager for the state wildlife agency, in the news release. “We do not want the public to avoid supporting wildlife, but we do want people to do it legally and safely.”
The public health dangers are real, authorities said.
“Diseases, viruses and parasites from non-protected wildlife can be transmitted to humans and pets via saliva, feces or urine,” state officials said in the news release. “Viral diseases of raccoons include rabies, canine distemper, raccoon parvoviral enteritis, infectious canine hepatitis and pseudorabies. Raccoons can also carry and transmit Leptospirosis and toxoplasmosis, which can be lethal for unborn babies.”
Officials advised families not to try to care for wild baby animals themselves; even if a young animal seems to be alone or abandoned, it’s likely that a mother is nearby, officials said.
But what if a wild animal does bite or scratch?
“If you do experience a suspicious bite, seek medical attention; local health care providers are educated on how to handle these situations,” said Cynthia Mattinson of the Tri-County Health Department in the news release. “We work closely with our hospitals, emergency departments, emergency medical services and clinics to ensure the safety and health of the public during these kind of incidents.”
Kieffer-Selby said the raccoon involved in the incident was killed and sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where experts will check it for possible disease, the Deseret News reported.
She added that the injured boy has “a very long road to recovery ahead of him,” according to the newspaper.
A photo released to the newspaper and local TV station KUTV appears to show bloody gashes on one of the child’s limbs.
“Our main concern was that this boy was properly taken care of,” Kieffer-Selby said, according to the Deseret News. “Raccoons are known to be carriers of different parasites, viruses and bacteria; and so when we initially received the call, our main concern was making sure this boy was treated correctly for his injury.”
This story was originally published January 2, 2020 at 5:22 PM with the headline "Pet raccoon scratches 5-year-old boy, requiring emergency surgery, Utah officials say."
