A mother from Watford has shared a harrowing experience after a fox entered her home and bit her three-month-old baby on the head while they were sleeping. Carly Clarkson, 37, described the shocking incident that occurred on the morning of August 20, during which she awoke to find the wild animal just inches from her face.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/fox-attacks-baby-tout-82826-a643de550a044096b14379a5fd5eb061.jpg)
Clarkson had been feeding her daughter, Josephine, when she dozed off. Upon waking, she was alarmed to see a fox sniffing her, and to her horror, she noticed blood nearby. “Imagine waking up and your child’s blood is next to you,” she recounted. “It was absolutely horrifying.” It soon became clear to her that her daughter had sustained four puncture wounds to the head, which Clarkson compared to marks that would be left by a dog biting a ball.
With adrenaline coursing through her veins, Clarkson picked up her baby and chased the fox towards the stairs. She then rushed to check on her other daughter, who is just one year old, and was thankfully asleep in another room at the time. Investigations later revealed that Clarkson had inadvertently left the back door of their home open, allowing the fox to enter.
Following the attack, Josephine was taken to Watford General Hospital, where medical professionals concluded that she had fortunately sustained no serious injuries, including no skull fractures. “I was very lucky that we came away with just needing some tetanus shots and some antibiotics,” Clarkson commented, reflecting on the incident. She speculated that the way she and her daughter were positioned while sleeping may have mitigated the potential for more severe injuries.
The ordeal has left Clarkson shaken and concerned for the safety of her children. “I feel absolutely violated,” she admitted, adding that she is now wary of allowing her daughters near open doors or in the garden. Clarkson has expressed her belief that foxes in her neighbourhood have become overly comfortable around humans, a trend that she finds alarming.
In her attempts to understand the problem, Clarkson pointed out that surveillance footage from the family’s backyard captured what appeared to be the same fox hanging around just before the incident. After the attack, a second fox was also seen approaching their front door as they rushed Josephine to the hospital.
Following the frightening encounter, Clarkson reported the incident to Watford Borough Council and began exploring measures to deter foxes from their property. One suggested option involved the use of repellent pellets, which were quoted at a cost of approximately £320.
The Watford Borough Council had not replied to inquiries regarding the incident at the time of reporting. However, Trevor Williams, the founder of The Fox Project, an organisation dedicated to the conservation of foxes in the UK, remarked that incidents of foxes attacking humans are exceedingly rare. Williams stated that the organisation had not encountered a similar case in over a decade.
He speculated that the aggressive behaviour exhibited in Clarkson’s case likely involved a young fox cub. Williams explained that adult foxes tend to avoid confrontations with humans and usually opt for a more cautious approach. “This incident may stem from young foxes separating from their families and navigating unfamiliar areas,” he noted, adding that most will instinctively steer clear of humans as a precaution.
Williams offered guidance for families worried about foxes entering their homes, recommending that doors should remain closed whenever possible and pointing towards safe animal repellents as an effective deterrent. As for Clarkson, she continues to grapple with the aftermath of the attack, cognisant of the risks wildlife can pose, especially in residential areas.