Two Raccoon Attacks in One Weekend Leave a Child and Adult Seeking Rabies Treatment in New Jersey
A 7-year-old boy was playing near a community garden in Ridgewood, New Jersey, on a Saturday evening at 7 PM. Not in the woods. In his own neighborhood.
A raccoon bit him on the upper leg. Less than 24 hours later, an adult was bitten on private property in the same town. A “sick-looking raccoon” was spotted again Sunday afternoon on Meadowbrook Avenue. The animal has not been found.
What Happened in Ridgewood This Weekend
Both victims received rabies treatment as a precaution. Ridgewood police issued a public alert: do not feed, approach, or handle wild animals. Supervise kids outside. Keep pets on a leash.
The community garden near Maple Field, where the child was attacked, is a neighborhood spot. Not a wildlife zone.
New Jersey Has Seen This Before
In April 2025, a 6-year-old girl in Collingswood, NJ, was stalked and attacked by a raccoon while walking with her family. The animal later tested positive for rabies.
Bergen County, where Ridgewood sits, has one of the highest rates of raccoon specimens tested for rabies in the state. This is not a random moment. It is part of a longer pattern most news reports skip.
Why a Raccoon Would Attack a Child at 7 PM
Raccoons are nocturnal. Aggression in the early evening is not normal, and it is one of the clearest warning signs of rabies. Signs to watch for: no fear of humans, disorientation, unusual sounds, foaming at the mouth.
The vaccination plan being considered involves flavored oral rabies pellets dropped in wooded areas, a program confirmed by Ridgewood police that federal agencies have run for years safely.
Raccoons are not the only wildlife quietly crossing into residential spaces.
A Connecticut homeowner only discovered a six-foot snake living in his attic after setting up motion cameras, and a Montana mom found a snake den under her home while her family slept above it. Wildlife does not wait for an invitation.
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Why This Matters
Raccoons are fully adapted to suburban neighborhoods. That is what makes them a more serious rabies risk than foxes or bats.
According to the CDC, around 4,000 animal rabies cases are reported in the US every year, and more than 90% occur in wildlife, with raccoons as the primary carrier. Three out of four Americans live in a community where this disease is present in local wildlife.
New Jersey has a documented raccoon rabies history going back to 1989. The virus has never fully left. A child getting bitten near a community garden at 7 PM is not a freak accident.
Even a venomous cottonmouth snake found at a Florida home’s front door is a reminder that wildlife showing up where people live is no longer rare.
Key Takeaways
- A 7-year-old boy was bitten near Maple Field in Ridgewood on Saturday evening
- A second attack on an adult happened the following day on private property
- Both victims are receiving rabies treatment as a precaution
- The raccoon has not been located
- Ridgewood is considering oral rabies vaccination pellets in wooded areas
- Do not feed, approach, or handle wild animals
- Report unusual animal behavior to the Ridgewood Police Department
Have you had a run-in with a wild animal in your neighborhood? Do you think towns act fast enough, or does it take an incident like this before anything changes? Drop your take in the comments below.
Wrapping Up
A kid got bitten near a community garden on a Saturday evening. The animal is still out there. The town is on alert.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. All details are based on publicly available reports at the time of publication.
