Two campers look at the stars, lying on the ground in their sleeping bags: a wild beast attacks them on the head

The night was clear, cloudless, and with a multitude of stars in the sky. Two campers who didn't know each other had the same idea. Enjoy the show near Puy Mary in Cantal then bivouac. Lying on the ground, warm in their sleeping bags, they gazed at the night sky.

Suddenly, a wild beast appeared and attacked them. A 66-year-old man suffered wounds to his skull measuring 4 to 5 cm in length. A 76-year-old woman suffered injuries to her face and one of her hands. Rescued by firefighters, the first was treated on site, the second was transported to Mauriac hospital.

The testimonies of the two campers, on events occurring one day apart at the end of October 2024, were taken seriously by the authorities. They said the animal was a fox. However, this animal is usually rather timid and does not attack humans.

The animal could have been captured on November 1 at Pas de Peyrol in Cantal, indicates The Mountain. It is a 3 to 4 month old fox cub, “certainly accustomed to consuming residues left by the numerous tourists on the site”. At the end of the season, the animal, which is omnivorous, found itself hungry.

Samples were taken from the animal and analyzes are underway. They are supported by the Cantal Departmental Hunting Federation. There is no need to fear possible contamination by rabies. This infection disappeared in foxes around twenty years ago in mainland France.