A mother has described the terrifying moment a fox entered her home and bit her three-month-old baby's head while she slept. Carly Clarkson, 37, from Watford, Hertfordshire, was feeding her daughter Josephine when she fell asleep, only to be woken by the animal sniffing her face. She then noticed blood around her baby, who had suffered four puncture wounds to the head.
Mother's account of the attack
Carly, a mother of two, said she screamed as she realised what had happened. She picked up her baby and chased the fox to the top of the stairs before checking on her one-year-old daughter in another room. The attack occurred on August 20, and Carly said she had left the back door of their home open before the incident.
"Imagine waking up and your child's blood is next to you. It was absolutely horrifying," Carly told the source. She described Josephine's injuries as looking "like a dog had bitten a football."
Hospital treatment and aftermath
Carly took her baby to Watford General Hospital at around 9:45pm on the same night. Staff found no fractures to Josephine's skull or any indication of brain damage. Carly said it was fortunate there were no wounds to an artery in the leg or the face, which she attributed to the position they had fallen asleep in. She suggested the fox may have been trying to pull her daughter away.
The family has since been left shaken. "I feel absolutely violated. I don't feel safe in my home with two young children," Carly said. She added that there is "clearly an issue" of foxes being fed or becoming accustomed to people.
Fox sightings and council involvement
As they left for the hospital, Carly and her husband saw a fox—possibly the same animal—approach their front door and try to enter. CCTV from their garden showed the animal wandering around moments before the attack. They reported the incident to Watford Borough Council and purchased pellets costing £300 that may deter foxes. Carly has also contacted The Fox Project for assistance, claiming the foxes in the area are becoming "out of control."
"I was very lucky that we came away with just needing some tetanus shots and some antibiotics," Carly said. "I would hate to find out that in a week or in a few weeks' time someone else isn't so lucky."
Expert analysis and advice
Trevor Williams, founder of The Fox Project, described this as the first incident of its kind in over a decade. "It's pretty clear to me that this incident involves a young cub," Williams said. "Experienced adult foxes would never behave in this way and will always avoid putting themselves in such a vulnerable position."
Williams explained that this time of year marks the annual dispersal when fox families break up, with cubs around four and a half months old. "For most, their natural instincts kick in quickly, and they will avoid immediate human proximity," he said. "But there will always be a few who find themselves wandering through open doors into homes or businesses as they investigate unfamiliar territory." He recommended keeping doors closed and using non-toxic repellents to deter foxes.
