Rabies

Concerns Regarding Rabies

While the rabies virus is on the decline, it is still infecting wildlife in our area.  Raccoons, foxes, bats, coyotes, and skunks are the most common wildlife to contract rabies.  Here are some signs of the rabies virus in these species:

• Disoriented and sick stage: The animal may stagger about or move very slowly, seemingly with little purpose.  The animal may walk in an extremely uncoordinated way and wander into objects.
• Aggressive rabies behavior:  Aggressive behaviors can include unprovoked fighting with dogs, cats and porcupines, which may be demonstrated by the animal having quills embedded in their faces.  Attacking inanimate objects, screaming and walking on hot pavement are other concerning behaviors.
• Dumb stage: An animal may be over friendly with humans and will not leave when yelled at.  They may have paralysis in their hind legs and have stiffness and trouble moving around.  One of the last signs of rabies is the frothing at the mouth, which is called saliva pooling.

If you see an animal that you suspect to have rabies, keep yourself, children, and pets away from the animal and call Sterling Police immediately at 978-422-7331. If any person or pet have had contact with an animal that is suspected to have rabies, contact the Sterling Police immediately. If you have a bat in your home that has made contact with a person or pet, do NOT release the bat, close off the area that the bat is in and contact the Sterling Police immediately. 

Seeing Nocturnal Animals During the Day

Some animals that are nocturnal, meaning that they usually do not come out during daylight hours can and will be seen during the day. This does not mean that they are sick! Nocturnal animals come out during the day for various reasons, most are gathering food, especially for their young during the Spring.