A wild fox is seen in a back yard in Bayside on Saturday, April 16, 2022.

Authorities are investigating after a rabid fox attacked two people in North Carolina in two separate attacks on the same day.

Both of the wild animal encounters took place in Aberdeen, a town about 95 miles east of Charlotte in Moore County.

According to the Moore County Sheriff's Office, the first animal attack took place about 8:05 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 11, along Midway Road and involved one person being bitten by the fox.

The second attack took place that same day, about 8:35 a.m. on Sycamore Street and involved a person bitten by the same animal, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.

Animal Services deputies collected the fox responsible for both attacks and sent it to a State Laboratory for rabies testing, the release continues.

Both people lived in the area but did not know each other, the sheriff's office told USA TODAY on Wednesday, Aug. 13.

2 people attacked by rabid fox in North Carolina treated for injuries

According to a news release on Tuesday, Aug. 12, Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields confirmed the fox had tested positive for rabies.

The victims received medical treatment and were expected to recover, the sheriff said in the release.

See aggressive wildlife? Here's what to do

Residents in the Aberdeen area were being asked by law enforcement to use caution and not to approach wild animals.

According to WildlifeHelp.org, people who encounter strange-acting or aggressive wildlife should "leave it alone" and "stay on guard" since there may be other infected animals in the area.

"If a wild animal is in your yard behaving aggressively and there has been no contact with people or pets, contact your local animal control or state wildlife agency immediately," the nuisance wildlife control operators said. "They will assess the threat and take appropriate action to deal with the offending animal."

Anyone who encounters wildlife displaying strange or aggressive behavior in the Aberdeen area is asked to call Moore County Animal Services at 910-947-2858.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rabid fox attacks 2 people in same day in North Carolina

Reporting by Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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