A raccoon attacked an infant inside an Idaho home this week as the baby boy was in a carrier, the state wildlife department said Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The incident happened Monday in Cassia County after the infant\u2019s mother had just returned home, Idaho Fish and Game said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The mother heard a noise, investigated and found the animal, it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe mother found a raccoon attacking her infant. She was able to grab the animal to stop the attack,\u201d the department said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The child\u2019s father and a Cassia County sheriff\u2019s deputy went to the home, found the raccoon still inside and they killed the animal, Fish and Game said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The baby was taken to a local hospital, and was then sent to a hospital in Salt Lake City, the department said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The dead raccoon tested negative for rabies, the agency said. It’s unclear how it got into the home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raccoon attacks against humans are \u201cextremely rare,\u201d it said. The animals are usually shy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raccoons can weigh about 12 to 30 pounds and are about three feet long, according to the department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n