Rabid Fox Bites Hiker in Oak Creek Canyon
Rabies cases in gray foxes are up statewide.
Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth fitness, nutrition, and adventure courses and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you sign up for Outside+ Sign up for Outside+ today.
When a rabid gray fox attacked and bit a hiker in Oak Creek Canyon near Sedona last December 20, it was the most aggressive sign of a boom of rabies cases in Arizona. Officials reported 24 rabid gray foxes in 2017, compared to just six in 2016. Experts advise hikers and campers to be cautious in Maricopa and Pinal Counties, home to the Superstition Mountain Wilderness, where officials have identified a rabid fox outbreak.
