Lebanon, New Hampshire – Authorities are actively searching for a mysterious animal that has carried out at least three aggressive attacks in the Centerra Park area since August 30. The Lebanon Police Department (LPD) has received multiple reports of encounters with the creature, prompting warnings to local residents.
Residents have described the animal as "unusually aggressive." While some have speculated it could be a gray fox or a fisher, police have not personally observed the animal and cannot confirm its species. Surveillance footage from one incident captured the animal charging from a wooded area and attacking a driver in a parking lot before fleeing.
The footage shows the animal with a long tail and slim body, repeatedly attacking the driver's feet and leg. The driver attempted to fend off the animal with an object before it eventually dislodged and fled into the woods. Two of the three reported attacks occurred on September 1.
Lebanon Police Chief Phillip Roberts expressed concern over the animal's behavior, suggesting it could be an indication of rabies. "That's usually indicative of something being wrong with the animal, most likely rabies," Roberts told KMBC. "And then, you know, the fact that it's coming out and scratching and biting at people. That's obviously a concern to us."
The LPD is collaborating with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department to locate the animal and assess its health. Residents in the Centerra Park area are advised to exercise caution, particularly when near wooded or brush-covered areas, and to maintain a safe distance from any aggressive wild animals, contacting the police immediately.
This series of attacks follows a recent incident in North Carolina where three baby goats at a mobile petting zoo tested positive for rabies. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the positive tests, stating that the goats likely contracted the virus from a skunk. Rabies is a nearly fatal condition that can spread to humans through infected animal bites if preventative medication is not administered before symptoms appear.