An Idaho mother rescued her infant son from a raccoon attack inside of their home before the baby’s father and a sheriff’s deputy killed the animal.
On Monday, Dec. 23, officers from the Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) and the Cassia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call involving a mother who heard “a loud noise in the home” and discovered a raccoon attacking her baby boy, Idaho Fish and Game shared in a release on Dec. 27.
The unnamed mom grabbed the animal to stop the attack, and her son was transported to the Cassia Regional Hospital in Burley for “undisclosed injuries” before being transferred to a hospital in Salt Lake City.
Cassia County Sheriff’s Office vehicle.
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Cassia County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
According to officials, a a sheriff’s deputy returned to the home with the baby’s father, located the animal and they killed it. IDFG noted that it is unclear how the raccoon gained access to the home. No other raccoons were found inside and the department is “confident’ that the animal killed was the same one that attacked the baby.
The animal’s carcass has since been tested for rabies by the Idaho Bureau of Laboratories with tests coming back negative.
“Once notified of the incident, staff from the Magic Valley Region activated their Wildlife Human Attack Response Team,” the IDFG wrote in the release. “This specially trained team of department staff has the responsibility to act to protect the safety of the public and incident responders; attempt to identify, locate, and control the animal(s) involved in a human-wildlife incident; and conduct, document and report investigative findings.”
Per the IDFG, reports of raccoon attacks on humans in the state are “extremely rare” and “only one case of raccoon rabies” has been documented in Idaho. They are “generally shy,” mostly avoid humans and can become aggressive if feeling “threatened.”
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The IDFG encouraged Idahoans to “never purposely feed a raccoon.”
“As with all wildlife that can be found around homes in Idaho, the best course of action to avoid raccoon encounters is to take preventative actions before a problem starts,” the department wrote. “Raccoons can live in a variety of habitats, but an area with access to water and food will attract them.”
“A homeowner can limit food sources by securing residential garbage, removing any fallen fruit or rotten produce from your yard or garden, feeding pets indoors, keeping pet food securely stored, and removing or securing bird feeders,” IDFG added. “Blocking raccoon access to hiding places in sheds and outbuildings and sealing off potential entryways and exits in and around a home will also discourage raccoon use.”
Idaho Fish and Game.
Idaho Fish and Game/Facebook
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The raccoon attack comes several months after another raccoon apparently attacked people waiting in line for a ride at Hersheypark in Pennsylvania. On April 3, TMZ shared footage of guests waiting to board the SooperDooperLooper days earlier at the theme park as they attempted to avoid the animal.
The person recording the clip could be heard off-camera saying that the raccoon ran off with a girl’s shoe, with two guests reportedly bitten. In a statement to CBS 21, park officials said the animal encounter was not a common occurrence and that they had “extensive fencing to help prevent this type of incident from occurring.”
“Guest safety is and will always be our top priority at Hersheypark. As such, we have a full complement of public safety and health professionals on property who responded quickly to render necessary care to the two people impacted,” the officials added.
Biologist Tom Keller, who works for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, told the outlet that officials at the park handled the situation correctly and that the animal appeared to be “really frightened” and felt “trapped” around the “screaming humans.”
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GENESSE – The Avista planned power outage for Friday, April 24 in Genesee has been cancelled and rescheduled due to weather. Approximately 337 Avista electric customers in Genesee will experience a planned power outage on Tuesday, April 28. The planned outage will start at 8:00 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.
All affected customers will be notified in advance. Traffic control will be in place from Laurel Street north of Chestnut Street.
During this time, Avista crews will be replacing aging infrastructure, including power poles and equipment, in the area. These updates are part of Avista’s ongoing efforts to enhance the safety and reliability of its infrastructure.
GARDEN CITY – A Boise-area girl is competing in the 2026 Junior Ranger Competition, and she needs your vote to advance.
Eleven-year-old Cali Lindsay of Garden City is currently in the top 10 in her age group. The first place contestant in each group will advance to the semi-finals, which will wrap on July 17.
The final round concludes on July 24. The winner will be awarded $20,000 and be featured on the cover of Ranger Rick Magazine. They’ll also win a trip with Jeff Corwin.
Cali’s mom, Emily Edginton, tells EastIdahoNews.com how the competition works.
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“You’re allowed one free vote every 24 hours. People can also pay (to vote),” Edginton says. “The contestants have challenges every week to learn about animals and share what they’ve learned. People vote for the answer they like best. If you have enough votes, you move to the next round.”
Cali needs to secure enough votes by Thursday in order to advance to the next round.
The competition is a fundraiser for the National Wildlife Federation, the largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization in the United States.
Edginton says they recently moved to Idaho from San Bernardino, California. Her daughter acquired a love of wildlife living in Lytle Creek, a community near the San Gabriel Mountains and San Bernardino National Forest.
“She’s already like a junior ranger. We picked up trash (in the forest) for fun,” Edginton says. “We try to keep it clean because we get a lot of visitors up there in the summertime and they trash the place. It affects the animals.”
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Edginton says they moved to Idaho in February to be closer to family.
She’s grateful her daughter can be part of what she feels is a great cause, and hopes to see her advance, and even win the tournament.
“It’s a good cause, plus it’s a learning experience,” says Edginton.
To vote for Cali or learn more, click here.
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