fox attack on the Custis Trail

[sjclaeys]

I encountered a fox on my bike last Friday morning at about 6:50 am. I was riding up the Custis under 66 when the fox came down the opposite direction. We gave each other a wide berth and went on our way.

[bobco85]

Please call Animal Control to report this. Information is here: https://www.awla.org/animal-control/

I’m glad no one is hurt, but it seems like the fox might be rabid if it’s attacking humans without any provocation.

[KLizotte]

+1

That is highly unusual behavior for a fox or any wild animal for that matter. Yes, please do call animal control.

[Emm]

please please PLEASE follow bobco85’s advice. I worked on a farm and we had a fox attack a horse and give it rabies. These types of things are no joke–I had to get the shots since I’d worked with the poor horse when it was in the early stages of infection.

[huskerdont]

That’s the section with the suicidal bunnies. Must be something in the water.

I bet it was pretty scary. Foxes are small, but a wild animal is a wild animal–especially a rabid one.

[rcannon100]

Actually… you need to do one more thing than call animal control… it sounds like the fox broke skin? You need to go get yourself checked for rabies (sorry). That is unusual behavior for a fox – and unusual behavior is indicative of rabies.

(We have foxes in our back woods in N Arlington. As we walk up the utility road, the fox will walk parallel to us ~ yipping at our dogs as my hound howls back. They have a very strange relationship)

[Tim Kelley]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm0dpHoFy1c

[huskerdont]

@rcannon100 134006 wrote:

Actually… you need to do one more thing than call animal control… it sounds like the fox broke skin? You need to go get yourself checked for rabies (sorry). That is unusual behavior for a fox – and unusual behavior is indicative of rabies.

(We have foxes in our back woods in N Arlington. As we walk up the utility road, the fox will walk parallel to us ~ yipping at our dogs as my hound howls back. They have a very strange relationship)

OT, but are you anywhere near the Yorktown neighborhood? We have a fox that follows us when we walk our beagle sometimes too. The beagle is very interested, but we keep them apart.

[kcb203]

@huskerdont 134005 wrote:

That’s the section with the suicidal bunnies. Must be something in the water.

I bet it was pretty scary. Foxes are small, but a wild animal is a wild animal–especially a rabid one.

Strange coincidence–I’d never seen any suicidal bunnies there until last night when one scampered in front of me as I was going west about to go under the W&L parking deck.

[Tania]

@kcb203 134022 wrote:

Strange coincidence–I’d never seen any suicidal bunnies there until last night when one scampered in front of me as I was going west about to go under the W&L parking deck.

This is because all kamikaze critters wait for ME. I almost got taken out by a squirrel one day and the guy behind me commented on my skill avoiding a fall. I have lots of practice as they do it EVERY RIDE. 😡

[huskerdont]

@kcb203 134022 wrote:

Strange coincidence–I’d never seen any suicidal bunnies there until last night when one scampered in front of me as I was going west about to go under the W&L parking deck.

They must really save it up folks like Tania and me then, or maybe it’s the time of morning we go through. I’ve had many close calls, including missing one so narrowly that it went behind my front wheel and in front of my back wheel, and I’ve no doubt that a bunny is big enough to send you over the bars in the wrong set of circumstances.

[Vicegrip]

@Tania 134028 wrote:

This is because all kamikaze critters wait for ME. I almost got taken out by a squirrel one day and the guy behind me commented on my skill avoiding a fall. I have lots of practice as they do it EVERY RIDE. 😡

Oh no they don’t. Some wait for me too. Killed one already and hit another.
Darwin is not strong in bunnies and squirrels. Have seen lots of foxes on the W&OD none acting out of the ordinary. As said please report the fox to the right people.

http://equipped.outdoors.org/2013/10/squirrel-suicide-know-best-way-to.html

http://road.cc/content/news/133017-cyclist-seriously-injured-after-squirrel-gets-tangled-spokes-%E2%80%93-poor-animal-came

[sjclaeys]

@huskerdont 134033 wrote:

They must really save it up folks like Tania and me then, or maybe it’s the time of morning we go through. I’ve had many close calls, including missing one so narrowly that it went behind my front wheel and in front of my back wheel, and I’ve no doubt that a bunny is big enough to send you over the bars in the wrong set of circumstances.

Or in the right set of circumstances you go right over them, hear a slight “crack” and go on your way, which is what happened to me when one shot out in the dark.

[Tim Kelley]

@sjclaeys 134047 wrote:

Or in the right set of circumstances you go right over them, hear a slight “crack” and go on your way, which is what happened to me when one shot out in the dark.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-squirrel-cyclist-crash-20141007-htmlstory.html

[dasgeh]

@Emm 134004 wrote:

please please PLEASE follow bobco85’s advice. I worked on a farm and we had a fox attack a horse and give it rabies. These types of things are no joke–I had to get the shots since I’d worked with the poor horse when it was in the early stages of infection.

As if you need more encouragement to report this to animal control, this section of trail is right beside a school (Science Focus) and a very popular park (Hayes).

[Author]

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