15-05-2025
Terrified female hiker attacked by unexpected animal SIX times while enjoying peaceful Texas trail
In a rare encounter, a female hiker was attacked six times by a rabid fox while enjoying a scenic walk through a Texas park.
Michelle Danos, a Texas State University student, headed to the trails at Purgatory Creek Natural Area in San Marcos on Sunday, hoping to unwind with a peaceful hike through the nature-filled paths after finishing her shift, KXAN News reported.
However, her serene walk took a terrifying turn when she was confronted by an unexpected threat - a fox - that attacked her repeatedly before she managed to escape, ultimately making her the fourth victim that weekend.
'The sixth time, I was just wondering if anyone was going to hear me screaming for help,' Danos told CBS Austin.
Purgatory Creek Natural Area, a popular and expansive recreation spot in Hays County, features hundreds of hiking and biking trails, along with scenic overlooks that showcase the area's stunning natural beauty.
The Lower Purgatory trail on Hunter Road is the most popular entry point, particularly among mountain bikers and trail runners, due to its natural, single-track surface - free of rocks and tree roots - and its more than 12 miles of uphill terrain.
Seeking a moment of peace, Danos headed to the lower Purgatory Creek trail on Sunday evening, hoping a walk in the great outdoors would help clear her head.
'I got off work, thought maybe I want to go on a hike,' she told KXAN News.
As Danos walked toward a field of blooming Prairie coneflowers, she heard rustling in the brush behind her.
'It was a fox,' Danos told KXAN News. 'It just started walking towards me.'
Immediately, she sensed something was wrong as the fox began to approach her - an unusual behavior, as foxes are typically elusive and tend to avoid humans.
'It was a fox walking, not running, not snarling, just walking towards me,' the college student told CBS, noting that the wild animal wasn't foaming at the mouth or charging.
'I went running, not knowing if anybody was going to hear me.'
The situation quickly escalated when the fox circled behind her and suddenly bit her ankle.
Danos attempted to escape, hauling rocks at the fox and even physically pushing it away, but it continued to return - relentlessly attacking her again and again.
'I grabbed it with my hand and threw it,' Danos told CBS. 'Then it came at me again, and I threw it on the ground. Then it came at me again.'
In spite of her desperate attempts to fend off the animal, the fox succeeded in biting her hands and fingers.
'By the fourth time, I threw it into the trees, and it still came,' she added. 'Fifth time, I threw it in the cacti and it came.'
'Sixth time, I was just wondering if anyone was going to hear me screaming for help.'
Finally, Danos managed to throw the fox into a cactus, temporarily stopping the attack.
By that point, she had been bitten six times and had lost her cellphone in the struggle - mistaking it as a rock and using it as a weapon during the attack.
'I ran screaming for help, and I ran to a family,' Danos told CBS. 'I asked him, call 911. They said there's already an ambulance in the parking lot for you.'
Danos is now focused on ensuring her health is intact after the terrifying encounter with the fox, noting that she has already received several rabies shots as a precaution.
'I have to get more tomorrow, and then seven days, and then 14 days,' she told KXAN. 'So, it's a process.'
However, Danos was just one of four unsuspecting victims who were attacked on Sunday, all near the Beatrice, Dante and Ripheus trails, CBS reported.
'So right before me, someone got attacked, and I heard a few people got attacked after me,' she told the outlet.
The unexpected attacks, which are exceedingly rare in Texas, raised concerns among health officials about the safety of hikers in the area, with suspicion that the fox may have been rabid.
Natasia Moore, an urban biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, visited the trail on Monday with a team to investigate the incident and determine if there was any denning activity in the area, which could explain the fox's aggressive behavior.
'It's not typical behavior. This is the first case of a fox attack in Texas that I know of to date,' Moore told KXAN.
'In urban areas, if an animal is showing aggression, it can be because they are protecting a den site,' she added. 'We did not see any fox activity.'
'Unfortunately, a rabies infection is looking like the most likely scenario.'
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that rabies is 'a fatal but preventable viral disease' that can be transmitted between people and animals through bites and scratches.
If left untreated before symptoms appear, the disease can cause severe brain disease and, if left unchecked, can lead to death.
Madison McLarry, an epidemiologist with Hays County Public Health, also emphasized the seriousness of rabies during an interview with CBS following the attacks.
'If you do progress through the symptoms of Rabies, which can happen from a couple of weeks to a couple of months after exposure, depending on where you're bitten, if you're showing symptoms, it's almost always fatal,' McLarry told the outlet.
Now, at the trail entrance, a large sign warned hikers of the danger, displaying flashing messages such as 'Rabid Fox In Area' and 'Hiking Not Advised'.
The fox has yet to be found. However, officials told KXAN that if the animal is rabid, it will likely die soon - if it hasn't already.
