Woman attacked by rabid fox in Tallulah Falls

One Tallulah Falls visitor got more then she expected while in town visiting Tallulah Falls over the Memorial Day weekend that ended up requiring her to pay a visit to the hospital.

According to Tallulah Falls Police Chief Tonya Elrod, the unsuspecting woman was out walking the trail with her husband when a rabid fox attacked her.

“On Memorial Day a call came in that a lady and her husband were walking near the overlook and a fox came out and attacked her and bit her on her hand,” said Elrod. “She went to the hospital and they both ended up getting shots because the husband wasn’t sure if he had gotten anything on him as he was trying to get the fox away.”

Elrod said the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Game Management division arrived on scene and euthanized the fox which tested positive for rabies after sending the animal to the lab.

“Game management did euthanize the fox which ended up testing positive for rabies,” she said.

Another incident involving a domestic cat playing with a questionable fox currently has authorities on the lookout for the possibly rabid animal.

“I got a call this most recent Saturday from a resident in Tallulah Falls that said her cat was playing with a fox in the yard. We alerted everyone and then contacted the proper channels and looked for it pretty much all weekend, but we were unable to find it,” Elrod said.

“We’re still looking but we’re not 100 percent certain whether it is rabid or not, but chances are it probably is since the first one was. So we are putting it high on our priority list.”

Elrod offered a few tips to keep visitors and residents safe in Tallulah Falls while enjoying the great outdoors.

“If you’re out walking and you see an animal that normally should not be out in the daytime like a fox, stay away from it,” she said. “Because chances are it is probably rabid and it could attack you. If you do notice unusual wildlife activity, call us and we will respond.”