TIMES RECORD • January 21, 2021
A grey fox tried to bite two children in their Phippsburg backyard Thursday morning before it was shot by the children’s grandfather, who left its brain intact so it can be tested for rabies. The fox had porcupine quills around its mouth, a common indication the animal was rabid. In 2019, Bath partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to trap species known to carry rabies, such as grey and red foxes, skunks and raccoons. The trapping program was designed to reduce the density of animal species that may carry rabies, lowering the chances of a human or pet coming into contact with a rabid animal. The program cost the city $26,611. Twenty-four raccoons and four skunks were caught in Bath and euthanized, but no foxes. None of the animals caught were carrying rabies.