FSDB On Alert for Wild Raccoon, Safety Precautions Implemented
Posted: 11/2/2011 in Announcements
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (Nov. 2, 2011) – A 9-year-old student from the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind was bitten by a raccoon near the Carey White Complex playground area on campus Nov. 1 at approximately 6:30 p.m.
The student was part of a group of about seven students who were escorted and supervised by FSDB staff while returning from dance lessons to their dormitory when the raccoon ran up to the child and bit her. She was transported to Flagler Hospital for a thorough health examination and was released to the care of the campus Health Care Center.
As a safety precaution, FSDB officials have set traps throughout campus and are continuously monitoring the campus grounds for any stray raccoons.
School officials are working in collaboration with the St. Johns County Animal Control and Florida Department of Health to further evaluate the incident.
To ensure everyone’s safety on campus, it is advised that students, campus staff and visitors follow the precautions listed below:
- Do not touch or feed wild animals.
- Keep garbage and food items in tightly sealed containers or dumpsters.
- Stay away from any wild animal that is behaving aggressively, appears ill or is acting unusually friendly.