A three-month-old baby was left with four puncture wounds on her head after a fox entered her family home in Watford, UK, while her mother was asleep.
Carly Clarkson, 37, had fallen asleep while feeding her daughter Josephine when she was suddenly woken by a fox sniffing near her face. She then noticed blood on her baby and realised the animal had bitten the infant.
Carly said she screamed before grabbing Josephine and chasing the fox towards the stairs. She then rushed to check on her one-year-old daughter, who was sleeping in another room.
The mother later took Josephine to Watford General Hospital, where doctors confirmed the baby had suffered no skull fractures or injuries to the brain. She was treated with antibiotics and given a tetanus injection.
CCTV footage from the family’s garden showed the fox wandering around the property before entering through an open back door. Carly said the same or another fox even approached the family again as they were leaving for hospital.
The incident has left the mother feeling unsafe in her own home, particularly when her two young daughters are around. She believes foxes in the area have become increasingly accustomed to people and may have been fed by residents.
The Fox Project founder Trevor Williams said such attacks are extremely rare, with the last similar incident known to the charity occurring more than a decade ago. He suggested the animal may have been a young fox cub exploring unfamiliar surroundings.
Williams explained that young foxes are currently dispersing from their families, with some wandering into homes or businesses as they investigate new areas. He said the cub may have acted out of curiosity rather than deliberate aggression.
He advised residents concerned about foxes to keep doors closed and consider using safe, non-toxic mammal repellents to discourage the animals from approaching their homes.
