A mum has described how a fox entered her home in Watford, Hertfordshire, and bit her three-month-old daughter's head as they slept. Carly Clarkson, 37, woke to find four bloody puncture wounds on baby Josephine's head and the animal sniffing at her face.
Woken by the fox
Carly, a mother of two, had dozed off while feeding Josephine. She was woken by the fox sniffing her face and then noticed blood around her baby lying beside her. She screamed and realised what had happened as she saw the puncture wounds on Josephine's head.
She snatched up Josephine and chased the fox to the top of the stairs before darting to her one-year-old daughter's room to check on her. The back door to the home had been left open.
Hospital check and after-effects
Carly said the wounds "looked like a dog had bitten a football." She rushed to Watford General Hospital at about 9:45pm on Thursday, August 20, where it was confirmed there were no fractures to Josephine's skull or concerns around the baby's brain.
Carly believes it may only have been due to the position they had fallen asleep in that the wounds were not to the face or an artery in the leg. She suggested the fox may have been trying to pull her daughter away. She now feels scared to use her garden or leave doors open with her daughters around.
Fox seen at the front door
As they left for the hospital, Carly and her husband saw a fox - possibly the same animal - coming right up to them at the front door and seemingly trying to get in. CCTV from the garden shows what they believe to be the animal wandering around moments before its entrance.
They reported the incident to Watford Borough Council and investigated what they could arrange privately, but all that could be offered were £300 pellets which may deter foxes. Carly has been in touch with The Fox Project for help.
Expert view and safety advice
Trevor Williams, founder of The Fox Project, said incidents like this are extremely rare and there hasn't been one in over a decade. He believes the incident involved a young cub, as experienced adult foxes would never behave in this way.
Williams noted that this time of year marks annual dispersal, when fox families break up and cubs, around four and a half months old, investigate unfamiliar territory. He advised keeping doors closed and using non-toxic repellents to deter foxes.
