VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Nina James-Houseman said she never expected the experience she had during an early morning jog Tuesday.
“I couldn’t believe he kept coming after me!” said James-Houseman.
“He” was a fox, but it wasn’t fully clear to James-Houseman until she got closer to the shadowy figure in the distance.
“I did think ‘Is that a coyote, is that a fox or is it THAT cat?!’” she said.
However, it was too late when she realized the Fox was aggressive.
“He jumped up and got me right on my upper thigh and I could feel him hanging there. So I’m shuffling and moving,” she said.
The bite left gashes in her thigh, but the fox came back and bit her again in the knee.
She had to kick it about 8 times before it finally ran out of her sight.
“It was A LOT. That’s why I was thinking ‘How many times do you have to kick a fox before it stops?!’” she said.
James-Houseman said she went to the hospital for treatment and staff contacted Animal Control.
She posted her story to the NextDoor neighborhood app where other people said they spotted an aggressive fox the same morning.
Animal control reported finding a dead fox in a nearby road the same day. Late Thursday, the Health Department said it tested positive for rabies. It is unclear if that fox was the attacker.
“It’s likely that it was, but you can’t KNOW that it was. And you don’t know what other animals that fox could have gotten into a fight with,” said James-Houseman.
She is now warning others about safety on outdoor paths.
“You just don’t know when something bad is going to happen so just be prepared. Carry mace,” she said.
The City of Virginia Beach is asking anyone who possibly came in contact with the fox to contact the health department.