WOOLWICH — Two young foxes attacked a Woolwich man while he was doing yard work in his backyard on Nequasset Road on Thursday.
James Collins, 79, said he was weed wacking when he was knocked to the ground by two young foxes. Collins estimated they were about five or six months old.
“One fox grabbed my muck boots and it tried to drag me away,” he said. “I was lying on the ground trying to keep the weed wacker between me and the fox.”
Collins said he struck one fox several times until it ran away. He was able to get to his back steps, but then was charged by the second fox.
“I looked down about 100 yards and I could see him running toward me,” he said. “The young fox made a beeline for me like a shark through water, and foxes don’t do that. For some reason they were very aggressive and weren’t scared of humans.”
Collins said he struck the fox several times with a cane he had nearby until they both ran away toward a brook beyond his backyard.
He was bitten several times on his arms and legs during the attack and received medical treatment.
Woolwich has seen only one rabid animal — a raccoon in March — so far this year, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
This story will be updated.
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