By staff writers, news.com.auOctober 06, 2009 05:52pm
AN elderly woman who was attacked by a gang of five raccoons may need skin grafts to repair her injuries.
Gretchen Whitted of Lakeland, Florida, was mauled by the raccoons after she tried to shoo them away from her front door on the weekend.
The gang turned on her, biting the 74-year-old's neck, chest, legs, head and back. They continued attacking her after she fell to the ground, The Ledger reported.
Neighbours, who called police after hearing Mrs Whitted's screams, said there was blood everywhere.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said: "We're not talking about a lot of little bites here.
"She was filleted."
Mrs Whitted was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Centre's trauma unit where she remains in a stable condition. She is receiving rabies vaccinations.
Her daughter, Lisa Bilik, said her mother was improving, The Ledger reported.
"She's getting a little bit better," she said.
"She's looking good."
Mrs Bilik said doctors were holding off on the skin grafts at the moment, but they may be needed for the most severe injuries to her mother's legs.
Local police, who said they had never heard of raccoons attacking humans in the area, were responding to the incident with "full force".
Sixteen traps have been set and baited with cat food and sardines in an attempt to catch the gang, but deputies who are checking the traps every hour have so far come away empty handed.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26173789-23109,00.html
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Although to my knowledge raccoons don't eat humans, humans in parts of the US eat raccoons. One of the US presidents rreceived one whose donor intended that he eat it, but, uninclined to do this, he kept it as a pet. He was not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for this kindly act.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if anyone ever eats skunk?