Overview
- A 2-year-old boy was bitten by a raccoon at a Wayland Town Beach playground while he was with his nanny, and the attack was reported to have happened suddenly during play.
- The child was brought home by the nanny, taken to Newton-Wellesley Hospital by his father, received three stitches and began a post-exposure rabies vaccination series the same day.
- Wayland Police searched the playground area but have not located the raccoon and have asked anyone who sees wildlife acting oddly to contact the department.
- Police warned that raccoons are usually nocturnal and that daytime activity, unprovoked aggression or disorientation can signal illness or risk to people and pets.
- The family described the episode as traumatic but said the boy is recovering energetically, and they urged other parents to stay vigilant at parks and playgrounds.