A New York state woman attacked by a rabid fox fought the animal to a draw with some kicking skills that bought time for someone to come to her aid.
A video of the incident, spliced together from security camera footage, was posted to Facebook by Steve Knight of WHP-TV.
The video begins with the Ithaca woman in her yard on a cell phone as a fox can be seen approaching her. As she is standing with her back turned, the animal attacks.
As noted by the American Humane Association, aggressive behavior can be one sign of rabies.
The woman tries to kick herself free as she recovers from the surprise of the attack, but the animal will not let go.
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Every time she breaks free, the animal springs again, leaping and biting.
Rabid Fox goes on the attack @i_am_inca @obviousriddle @ChrisPaniro 😬💉💉💉💉 pic.twitter.com/ydDIEENw1i
— RIP Mimi 💔😪 (@bigalbigs) August 25, 2022
At one point, she has a few feet between her and the animal. This time, when it charges, she delivers a Chuck Norris-style kick that sent the animal flying.
Undaunted, the animal attacks again. This time the woman manages to grab the animal by its tail and fling it a few feet, but the animal does not give up until a man with an object in his hand arrives.
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The woman, whose name was not revealed, later said that after the fox was put down, it tested positive for rabies, according to WHP-TV.
The woman was cut and received medical attention.
The New York Post reported that the video was initially shared on Facebook by Paul Russo on Aug. 21.
“My wife was attacked by a rabid fox this past July,” he wrote.
“Our friend edited the security camera footage and made this educational video for us to post to alert everyone that this can happen to anyone,” he wrote.
“It was a beautiful animal and I didn’t want to hurt it,” the woman said in one version of the video, according to the Daily Mail.
“Unfortunately, I had no choice but to fight back, because I couldn’t get away. I thank God my neighbor showed up,” she said.
The website HumaneSociety.org said foxes make up about seven percent of America’s rabies cases that are reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In addition to aggressive behavior, the website said signs of rabies could include partial paralysis or staggering; acting far too tame; or self-mutilation.
