KINGMAN (KTNV) — An Arizona woman is recovering after being attacked by a bobcat on Thursday night.
According to the Mohave County Sheriff's Office, a woman and her friend were out for a walk in the Atherton Acres neighborhood south of Kingman. That's when they spotted the bobcat.
As the two were backing away from the animal, the woman said the bobcat clawed one leg and bit the other leg. She went to the Kingman Regional Medical Center to be treated.
Arizona Game and Fish Department were able to find the bobcat. They said while these types of attacks are rare, in most cases, rabies is often involved.
Over the past couple of months, several animals have been diagnosed with rabies through Nevada, Arizona, and California.
In May, a woman was treated for rabies after being bitten by a bat at Death Valley National Park. About two and a half weeks after that incident, the Nevada Department of Agriculture confirmed a case of rabies was found in a Clark County bat. Mohave County warned about foxes with rabies throughout the Hualapai region in May. There was also a possible rabies case that Boulder City officials investigated last month. However, they said the kitten later tested negative.
A current rabies vaccination is legally required in the state of Nevada for dogs, cats, ferrets, and certain species of wildlife.
Officials have few tips to avoid being exposed to rabies.
- Enjoy wildlife from a distance and keep your pets away from them.
- Don't pick up, touch, or feed wild or unfamiliar animals, especially sick or wounded ones.
- Vaccinate pets against rabies.
If you have been bitten or scratched or had contact with an animal you think could be infected, officials said you should wash the wound or area well with soap and water and immediately report the incident to animal control and health authorities.
