Maywood PD: Raccoon That Attacked Residents Captured

MAYWOOD, NJ - A possibly rabid raccoon was contained by Bergen County Animal Control Thursday afternoon in Maywood, according to police.

In a Nixle alert, police said a raccoon "has attacked several residents" in the area of Parkway and Palmer Avenue and urged caution. Northjersey.com reported that an 82-year-old man on his porch and a 72-year-old man doing yard work were both attacked by the animal.

The raccoon also chased after a group of children, but didn't injure them, the newspaper reported.

Raccoons are a common carrier of rabies, a virus typically transmitted when an infected animal bites, and saliva from the infected animal comes into contact with any open cuts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Signs of rabid animal include: aggressive behavior, appear to be drunk or injured, and/or have trouble walking, disorientation, loss of appetite, excessive irritability, unusual vocalization, abnormal behavior, restlessness, jumping at noises, excessive salivation, tremors, convulsions, or paralysis.

Residents who see an animal acting strangely should avoid the animal and immediately call their local police department or health department.