A 66-year-old man was bitten and scratched by a bobcat Sunday at Tucson's Saguaro National Park- East, state officials say.
The man was on Cactus Forest Drive when he was attacked, Arizona Game and Fish said in a post Monday on Facebook.
The animal is still on the loose and is likely rabid, the agency said. However, Game and Fish public information officer Mark Hart believes the bobcat's behavior could be a sign of late-stage rabies.
"Extreme aggression is exhibited in the latter-stages of rabies, so that bobcat maybe from that time forward has 48-72 hours (to live), but it's not precise," Hart said Monday. "A rabid animal will initially show a lack of coordination, almost as if inebriated, stumbling about, salivating heavily, extreme thirst and then it progresses to this very progressive behavior that we saw yesterday."
The man received emergency treatment and was released. Details about his injuries were not immediately available.
Anyone who sees the bobcat is asked to call 623-236-7201 immediately.
Hart said Game and Fish isn't advising the community to "avoid the area," but that people in the area should avoid contact with wildlife acting aggressively or seemingly disoriented or uncoordinated. They should leave the area and warn others about the animal's presence, Hart said.
"Not only should you avoid animals acting erratically but avoid any dead animals that appear to have just expired for no apparent reason," Hart said. "You should keep your pets away too, like your dogs, even if they're vaccinated."
