UPDATE: Norristown Woman Hospitalized After Run-in With Potentially Rabid Skunk, Say Authorities

Written by Community Editor Nicole Foulke

Soon after Norristown police heard a dispatch call about a fox on 1600 the block of New Hope Street in Norristown in the late afternoon of Sept. 19, they heard a more serious call—this one about an animal biting someone on the same block, say police.

Norristown police arrived at New Hope Street and spoke with a woman who had called in a complaint, according to a police report. The woman told police that she had seen a skunk in her yard earlier but was more worried about a fox that she said she had seen near her patio, say police. The woman was told that if she stops feeding the birds and squirrels, then the fox should stop coming around, according to the report. 

During that time, the county dispatch reported that a 90-year-old woman who had been in the same block of New Hope Street had been taken to a hospital by Plymouth EMS after she received several skunk bites, say police. 

Norristown police spoke with the woman’s son, who said that his mother had been in her yard when a skunk walked over to her, and attacked her, according to the report. The skunk had bitten one of the woman’s hands to the point that one of the woman’s fingertips had almost been bitten off, say police. The skunk also bit the toes and heels of the woman’s right foot, say police.

The hospital staff filled out a bite form that was to be given to the Montgomery County Health Department, according to the report. 

The story reached Chris Heil, a Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife conservation officer in the county.

“Every year we have numerous animal-human conflicts,” said Heil to Patch.com. “Sometimes these animals do have rabies, and sometimes they have conditions that are like rabies.” 

Heil cautions people to stay away from wildlife.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE FROM SEPT. 21, 2013:

An altercation with a potentially rabid skunk sent an elderly Norristown woman to the hospital on Thursday, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

The incident, which occurred around East Roberts Road, was reported to Game Commission wildlife conservation officer Chris Heil, who said that Norristown police responded to the skunk.

Heil said that the woman had gone outside and apparently had some sort of interaction with the skunk. She was later taken to a hospital.

The animal was not yet recovered, he said.

“Every year we have numerous animal-human conflicts,” Heil said. “Sometimes these animals do have rabies, and sometimes they have conditions that are like rabies.” 

Heil cautions people to stay away from wildlife.