COCHISE COUNTY, Arizona — Two brown foxes in Ramsey Canyon tested positive for rabies, prompting a stark alert from the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office on March 21, 2025. The Cochise County rabies spike tied to foxes hit when one was found wobbling near a local business—dead before wildlife crews arrived—and another lashed out at people in daylight, caught and euthanized, both riddled with the virus.

The first fox staggered out sick, a daytime collapse that screamed trouble. The second went after folks ‘til it was nabbed—rabid too. No deaths or bites reported here, but the sheriff’s clear: dodge wild animals acting off—sick, aggressive, or out in the sun. Vaccinate your pets—dogs, cats, ferrets—and keep ‘em leashed or inside. Don’t feed or grab wildlife; let ‘em wander off, and tuck kids and pets indoors if they’re near. Bat in a sleep spot? Assume a bite and get checked. Secure trash, skip birdseed piles, trim roof branches, and screen holes to block critters. See something odd? Call SEACOM at 520-803-3550 or 911 fast.

Bitten or scratched? Scrub it with soap, hit a doc—same for pets; glove up, call the vet, and ping animal control. Last fall, a Sierra Vista bat tested positive, per azdhs.gov—no tie to these foxes, just a heads-up.