“When you have to watch someone you love go through something like this, especially your child, it’s really brutal,” Grayson Cohen's dad said
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NEED TO KNOW
- A 1-year-old boy was bitten by a raccoon while playing at Wayland Town Beach in Massachusetts on Friday
- The toddler received medical treatment, including a rabies vaccine, and is recovering at home with his family
- Authorities are still searching for the animal involved and reminding the public to avoid abnormal wildlife behavior and report sightings
A toddler is recovering after being bitten by a raccoon while at a Massachusetts beach last week, his family says.
Grayson Cohen was on a playdate with his nanny at Wayland Town Beach on Friday, May 22, when he encountered the animal, according to Fox affiliate WFXT.
The nanny said the animal was at the top of the stairs of a jungle gym when it charged at the boy, who turns 2 in August. She then rushed him home where his dad, Spencer, was working.
Spencer said he quickly realized his son was “pretty severely bit by this raccoon" and rushed him to an area hospital, WFXT reported.
“When you have to watch someone you love go through something like this, especially your child, it’s really brutal,” Grayson's dad said.
The Wayland Police Department said in a bulletin that the boy “received appropriate medical treatment” at the hospital.
Grayson's mom, Megan, said he had an apparent bite mark across his rib cage and some scratch marks on his body, according to WFXT.
He has reportedly already received the first of a four-dose rabies vaccine and has since returned home.
“I think, thankfully, we’re more traumatized than he is by the situation,” Spencer said, later adding that he is “grateful” his son is now back to being “a happy, healthy 2-year-old.”
As of Sunday, May 24, the raccoon involved in the attack had not been found, according to WFXT.
Police said they “will continue to check the area over the next several days” as they search for the animal.
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Police also offered some advice, such as not feeding wildlife and keeping children and pets away from wild animals.
They warned the public to keep a safe distance from any animal behaving abnormally, including being disoriented, aggressive or active during daylight hours.
Anyone who encounters the raccoon involved in the incident “or observes suspicious wildlife behavior” is asked to contact Wayland police at 508-358-4721.
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