Residents of Lebanon, New Hampshire, have been on high alert after several animal attacks were reported in the vicinity. The Lebanon Police Department didn’t have much else to go on in the alert they issued on Sept. 1, 2026, which said three attacks had happened since Aug. 30.
Instead, the police department could only share the details that they were given by witnesses, which suggests the animal is either a gray fox or a fisher-cat. As such, they’re telling residents to be extra careful, since the mystery creature has been showing unusual signs of aggression.
As you may already know, aggression in a wild animal can be a sign that it has been infected with the rabies virus, which has no cure. The police department’s Sept. 1 statement hinted at their concerns, telling residents that the virus can be spread through more than just a bite, and to report any “attacks, bites, or scratches” to the authorities at once.
The news has been picked up by additional outlets in the region, including Boston.com, which shared a video of one of the recent attacks on Threads, highlighting just how aggressive the animal in question has become.
Video Shows a Man Being Attacked by a Wild Animal
View on Threads
They say seeing is believing, and after watching the footage posted to Boston.com’s Threads account, it’s clear that the Lebanon Police Department was not underselling the aggressiveness of these attacks. In the video, a man can be seen getting out of a U-Haul truck as a small animal runs towards him from the tree line.
After sneaking up on the man, the animal appears to attack his feet and ankles, prompting him to kick the critter away. Another person runs in to help the man during the incident, and the two eventually scare the creature off before making their escape.
People Seem to Think It’s a Fisher-Cat
Most of the comments on the Threads post included suggestions for the two people in the video to get checked out and immediately begin rabies treatment. Others were from people attempting to identify the animal, with some people suggesting that it could be a pine marten or a stoat. However, it seems like the majority of people believe it could be a fisher-cat.
According to New Hampshire’s Fish and Game Department, a fisher-cat is the cousin of the weasel, marten, mink, and otter. The Fish and Game Department doesn’t make any notes about the fisher-cat being aggressive toward humans, which means that it sounds like the police are right to worry about the potential for rabies to be involved.