Rabid Woodchuck Terrorizes New Hampshire Neighborhood

Gary McGrath was in his backyard in Hampton, New Hampshire on November 18 when he was accosted by an overly aggressive groundhog. According to CBS Boston, McGrath said he was in his yard when the “furry little fuzzball” came after him. It first came up to him and McGrath nudged it away with his foot. The rodent was not deterred and again went after McGrath’s foot. The New York Daily Times reports the determined groundhog was unnerving to McGrath.

“Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed this movement. I turned around and this furry thing is coming at me,” he said. “He got close enough so I could just poke him with my toe, and I pushed him back a few feet. He just turned around and came right back, and I gave him a harder kick this time.”

McGrath, a woodworker, went into his garage only to be confronted again by the vicious groundhog. He ran into his house pursued by the possessed rodent who climbed up steps to a sliding door where it pressed its face against the glass and maliciously clawed trying to get in. McGrath was able to take a few photographs of the slobbering animal.

After waiting a few minutes McGrath decided to go outside to see if the wild woodchuck was gone but was almost immediately confronted by the rodent. He ran back inside pursued by the belligerent animal. According to the New York Daily Times McGrath outran the animal. “I took off as fast as I could, which didn’t have to be too fast. He had pretty short legs,” he said, chuckling. “And he follows me up the steps and started biting, clawing and really acting nasty.”

McGrath said he called an animal control officer to come and take care of the animal. Upon his arrival, the hostile woodchuck turned his fury on the surprised man who rushed back to his vehicle. Eventually the animal was apprehended. Testing revealed the groundhog was rabid.

According to CBS Boston, McGrath was not the first one to be waylaid by the rancorous rodent. His neighbor, Kevin Bowersox, had a confrontation with the animal a few hours prior. Bowersox heard his 105-pound Sheepdog, Murphy, barking in the back yard and when he looked out he saw the groundhog chasing the dog. He thought his dog had disturbed the animal and went outside to quiet him when he became the object of the rodent’s attention and found himself being hunted by the animal. He ran back into his house and the crazed groundhog resumed chasing Murphy. Bowersox called his dog inside.

The story is reminiscent of a previous Inquisitr article of a rabid beaver attacking an 83-year-old woman while she was swimming. She suffered injuries from the attack.

No one was hurt in this incident and McGrath said his friends aren’t letting him live it down. “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck?” he jokes.