Danger Of Wild Animals: Rabid Bobcat Attacked Grandma, And She Bravely Fought It Off To Keep Her Granddaughter Safe

July 26, 2018 16:45

Author By Fabiosa

Most of the time, bobcats don’t pose a threat to humans. These wildcats generally tend to avoid people. But if a bobcat is rabid, it can get aggressive and attack people and their pets. The animal may be too small to kill an adult person, but its attack can result in some serious injuries and put you at a high risk of rabies.

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What do you think you would do if attacked by a bobcat? One grandma from Georgia knew exactly what to do: She killed the rabid wildcat with her bare hands, saving her own life and her family from the dangerous animal.

NBC4 WCMH-TV Columbus / YouTube

Dede Phillips was in her driveway when she spotted a wild bobcat. The animal pounced on the woman, and she knew she had only one choice to save herself and her little granddaughter who was sleeping inside.

The animal bit and scratched her fiercely, but the brave woman managed to grab its throat. Dede held the bobcat’s throat in a tight grip until she was sure it was dead.

Phillips told CBS46 News:

If I had ever let it go, it would have been me, so I made sure I never let it go.

NBC4 WCMH-TV Columbus / YouTube

The animal was tested positive for rabies, and Phillips has to undergo expensive treatment to prevent the virus from taking hold in her body. One of her relatives created an account to raise money to cover medical expenses.

This isn’t the first time a bobcat attacked a human, and it seems such attacks have been getting more and more common in recent years. There were more than a dozen of such cases in 2017, and in each one, the animal was tested positive for rabies.

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If you or your pet gets bitten by a bobcat, seek medical attention immediately, as an aggressive bobcat is very likely to be rabid.