Oct 5, 2009 6:18 pm US/Eastern
Lakeland Woman Mauled By A Pack Of Raccoons
LAKELAND (CBS4) ―
"We're not talking about a lot of little bites here, she was filleted."
That's how Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described an attack on 74-year-old Gretchen Whitted of Lakeland by a pack of raccoons. Whitted was trying to shoo the pesky critters out of her when five of them surrounded her and attacked. A neighbor called for help after hearing the woman's cries and seeing her covered in blood.
Whitted was hospitalized and treated for numerous and extensive cuts from her neck to her legs. She received dozens of staples and sutures and was treated for rabies, though officials doubt the animals were infected.
Fire crews flooded nearby drains where some of the animals escaped, but none turned up. Animal Control officers hope to catch them in traps baited with wet cat food and sardines.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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