Representational image. (Pixabay.com)
Alabama, US: A three-month-old baby was mauled to death by a pet “wolf-hybrid” kept by his family in Shelby County in the US state of Alabama, police said. Law enforcement personnel rushed the injured boy to a hospital where he succumbed on November 30.
Shelby County 911 received an emergency call about an animal attack at around 12:54 pm (local time) about an animal attack involving an infant in County Road 440, Chelsea area. “Shelby County deputies, Chelsea firefighters, and Shelby County Animal Control Officers responded to the scene. The infant was transported to an area hospital by ambulance, with a law enforcement escort,” the Sheriff’s office said in a release.
The animal that attacked the infant has been described as a “wolf-hybrid” kept by the boy’s family. The pet was later put to sleep by a local veterinarian at the request of the law enforcement authorities and the body has been shifted to the Alabama State Diagnostics Laboratory in Auburn to be examined further. The police have ruled out a threat to the people in the area.
The Sheriff’s Office has started an investigation into the circumstances that led to the infant’s death due to the animal attack. County coroner Lina Evans told local media that the owners were aware of the pet’s lineage of a wolf.
What is a wolf-dog hybrid?
A “wolf-dog” hybrid is an offspring from the mating between a wolf and a domestic dog. The International Wolf Center strongly advises against bringing such hybrids into family homes, stressing the risks posed by their inconsistent and unpredictable behaviour, which can threaten the safety of humans.
The Mayor of Chelsea, Tony Picklesimer, confirmed the tragic death of a child, stating that the baby was killed by an “exotic family pet.” He expressed the unimaginable nature of the incident, questioning how one could ever overcome such a heartbreaking situation.
