Global Courant
A bobcat that attacked a camper sleeping in a hammock at a Connecticut state park last week has tested positive for rabies, officials said.
The man was among other adults who led a group of youth campers on Selden Neck Island, located on the Connecticut River in Selden Neck State Park in Lyme, the State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) said in an e-mail press release. mail. to Fox News Digital.
The bobcat attacked the sleeping man early Friday morning. The man and two other adults were able to restrain and kill the animal, the department said.
The bobcat was transported to the State Public Health lab, where it tested positive for rabies.
RABID BOBCAT ATTACKS 3 CONNECTICUT CAMP COUNSELORS
A bobcat, as pictured above, tested positive for rabies after attacking an adult camper sleeping in a hammock at Selden Neck State Park in Lyme, Connecticut, on Friday. (iStock)
All three men were taken to hospital with injuries from the cat. None of the children on the outing had come into contact with the animal, authorities said.
Firefighters helped all campers at Selden Neck Island after the bobcat attacked early Friday morning. (Deep River Fire Department)
The Deep River Fire Department and DEEP Environmental Conservation Police transported all of the island’s campers after the attack.
BACKPACKER MISSING WHILE HIKING IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Bobcat attacks on humans are rare, according to DEEP.
Officials said three adults killed the bobcat after the attack. The adults were treated for injuries inflicted by the cat. None of the children had come into contact with the animal. (Deep River Fire Department)
“When unprovoked seizures do occur, they are generally illness or disease related. While rabies is not as common in bobcats as some other mammalian species, they can contract the virus.”
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Conservationists urged visitors to treat all animals with respect and enjoy them from a distance.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
