ACADIA NATIONAL PARK, Maine — A dead raccoon found this week near the restrooms at Sieur de Mont Springs was infected with rabies, park officials indicated Thursday in a press release.
Park officials have posted signs in the area to remind visitors to be wary of wildlife that appears to be sick, aggressive or uncoordinated. The Sieur de Mont Springs area of the park remains open to the public.
“Visitors should not attempt to approach or feed wildlife, and must keep dogs on a leash no longer than 6 feet,” Acadia officials wrote in the release.
Rabies is a disease that is caused by a virus that affects the brain and spinal cord, and can cause death if left untreated, park officials indicated. Rabies in people is very rare in the United States, but it is common in wildlife.
Anyone who sees an animal that may be sick should report the sighting immediately to park staff by calling 207-288-8791. In case of an emergency, visitors should call 911.
The most commonly infected animals in Maine are raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes, the release indicated. The rabies virus lives in the saliva, brain and spinal cord of infected animals and is spread when a rabid animal bites or scratches a person or animal. The virus also can spread if a rabid animal’s saliva or neural tissue comes in contact with a person or animal’s mouth, nose or eyes, or enters a cut in the skin.
The disease was first detected in Maine in the mid-1990s, and the first confirmed case of a rabid raccoon on Mount Desert Island was in 2001, according to park officials. Reports of rabid animals have occurred in Maine every year since, but most have not been tested or confirmed, they said.
More information about Acadia National Park is available by calling 207-288-3338 or can be found online at www.nps.gov/acad or via the park’s social media accounts at www.facebook.com/AcadiaNPS and https://twitter.com/AcadiaNPS.
