ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Being a small island, AMI’s wildlife and human inhabitants often cross paths, but due to people feeding animals, they are getting to be a little too comfortable with their human counterparts.
“I had just dropped some people off at Coquina Beach and stopped for a quick snack,” said Randy Lusk, who drives one of the Old Town Tram golf cart shuttles in Bradenton Beach. “I grabbed some trail mix and saw a squirrel jump in the golf cart by my left foot. Before I knew what was happening, he ran up my leg and grabbed some of the trail mix out of the bag on my lap. I thought he would run away, but he ran up my arm, sat on my shoulder and had a snack; it was crazy!”
Lusk said he was not coaxing the squirrel and not trying to feed it, but obviously, it had been fed so many times it had absolutely no fear of humans. While it’s a funny story with pictures that will brings laughs for Lusk and his family for a lifetime, even an innocent-looking squirrel could potentially be dangerous.
The Florida Department of Health in Manatee County (DOH-Manatee) reminds the public to avoid contact with wild or stray animals out of concern that they could be carrying rabies.
Anyone believing they may have been exposed to rabies, bitten or scratched should contact their health care provider and their county health department immediately.
In addition, if bitten by a suspected rabid animal, seek immediate treatment to prevent contracting the disease. Immediately wash animal bites and scratches with soap and water and call Animal Services at 941-742-5933 to report the bite. They will remove the animal for quarantine or testing.
The rabies virus is present in some wildlife in Florida and can spread to unvaccinated pets, which then pose a high risk to pet owners and their families. Some actions people and their families can take to prevent from being exposed to rabies include avoiding direct contact with wildlife, not feeding wildlife, consulting a veterinarian to ensure pets are up to date on rabies vaccinations and supervising pets and young children while outside.
