A ‘sick’ fox bit a woman in Radnor. What should you do if that happens?

A potentially sick fox bit a Main Line dog walker this week, and police are warning residents to stay aware of their surroundings.

Radnor Township police said the woman, whom they did not identify, was bitten while walking her dog on the 400 block of West Wayne Avenue on Monday.

The fox “appeared sick” and was unable to be located, the department said in a statement. The woman was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Michael Maratea, Radnor’s animal control officer, said the woman had been bending down for a stick to throw for her dog when the fox “came out and bit her on the hands” before scurrying back to a hole along a line of woods.

Springtime is when foxes deliver their babies, according to Maratea; the animal control officer suspects that the fox could have felt defensive and attacked.

“It was probably intimidated thinking she was going to cause harm to the den or to the family,” Maratea said.

Maratea said the woman’s description mentioned that the fox appeared “mangy.” However, he stressed that mange is not the same as a fox having rabies, the former being more common among suburban wildlife.

So what can be done to prevent a fox bite, and what should you do if you are bitten by one?

Maratea says call 911 immediately and wait for emergency medical personnel and police to respond. Most likely, a fox-bite victim will then receive a course of rabies vaccinations “more as a precaution,” the animal control officer said.

And for those with dogs, Maratea stressed that keeping your pets leashed in parks and wooded areas can protect them from disturbing foxes.

“[Foxes] are usually in fear of us and our pets,” Maratea said, “but you want to keep supervision.”