Animal experts are expressing concern about changing wildlife behavior following a fox attack in Victoria.
What's happening?
According to Yahoo News Australia, a 50-year-old man was hospitalized after suffering lower-body injuries.
Per a YouTube short by 9News Australia, the encounter occurred around 6 a.m. on Jan. 19 when Brad Fishlock heard one of his baby alpacas struggling with a predator. He looked out the window to find a fox hounding the pet, prompting him to engage the wildlife intruder by making noise and attempting to scare it off.
Instead of running away, however, the fox attacked Fishlock, biting deeply into his thigh. Fishlock was promptly rushed to the Northern Hospital and was in a stable condition.
The attack took place at a property in Romsey, which is about 60 kilometers, or 37.3 miles, north of Melbourne.
Why is the fox attack concerning?
Foxes aren't known to be aggressive in human-wildlife encounters. However, when cornered or sick with rabies, among other potential reasons, foxes may show unusual aggression.
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Australia, however, remains free of the rabies virus, which eliminates this potential reason for the fox's aggression.
"It is a bit concerning that a man was attacked badly enough to end up in hospital," said Dr. Nicole Su, an exotics veterinarian, per Yahoo News Australia. Su wondered whether foxes are becoming more accustomed to humans — and therefore losing their fear of people — because "someone could be feeding them."
What's being done about fox attacks?
Fox attacks are rare but not unprecedented.
Foxes are a highly destructive invasive species in Australia, representing a threat pest that must be managed.
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Agriculture Victoria has a fox bounty program to help manage the population. Hunters receive $14 per fox scalp.
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