Man's Attempt to Rescue Rabid Raccoon Doesn't Go Well

A man trying to rescue a wounded raccoon he found on the road suffered numerous bites as he held onto the animal while driving to a nature center—only to later learn the animal had rabies, staff members say. Georgia's Chattahoochee Nature Center described the bizarre incident on social media, saying the man wrapped the raccoon in his coat and held it against his chest for the hour-long drive to the facility, per Atlanta News First. His reaction to being bitten in the face and hands, the CNC said, was to return home and duct-tape the raccoon in a blanket before setting out again.

Though his "heart was in the right place," the man put himself and numerous others at risk, the center said, noting staff had to get the raccoon into a kennel as children were arriving for a Thanksgiving Break camp. The facility isn't even licensed for raccoon rehabilitation, per WSB, and the man reportedly arrived an hour before its wildlife clinic opens. ANF reports he had to be "convinced by CNC staff to go" to the hospital for treatment. The raccoon was ultimately euthanized at a veterinary hospital. Two days later, the CNC learned the raccoon had tested positive for rabies. As if the case doesn't speak for itself, the center stresses that people should leave the job of handling injured wildlife to licensed professionals.