WATFORD, HERTFORDSHIRE — 25 August 2026 — A Watford mother has described the terrifying moment a fox entered her home during the night and bit her three-month-old daughter while the baby was sleeping.
Carly Clarkson, 37, said she had fallen asleep while feeding her daughter Josephine when she was suddenly woken by an animal sniffing her face. She then discovered blood around her baby and four puncture wounds on the child's head.
Clarkson said the wounds were so alarming that they appeared as though “a dog had bitten a football.” She immediately picked up Josephine and chased the fox towards the top of the stairs before checking on her other young daughter.
The fox is believed to have entered through an open back door at the family’s Watford home. CCTV footage reportedly captured the animal moving around the garden shortly before it entered the property.
Josephine was taken to Watford General Hospital at around 9.45pm on 20 August. Medical examinations found no skull fracture or signs of brain damage. The baby was treated with antibiotics and given tetanus protection.
The frightening incident has left Clarkson deeply shaken.
“I feel absolutely violated. I don’t feel safe in my home with two young children,” she said, according to reports.
The family also reportedly encountered a fox near their front door as they were leaving for hospital, although it could not be confirmed whether it was the same animal.
Experts say attacks are extremely rare
Trevor Williams, founder of The Fox Project, said incidents in which foxes enter homes and attack people are extremely unusual.
He believes the animal involved may have been a young fox cub dispersing from its family. Young foxes can sometimes investigate unfamiliar surroundings, including open homes and businesses.
Williams said most foxes naturally avoid close contact with humans and described the Watford incident as exceptionally rare. He advised homeowners concerned about fox activity to keep doors closed and consider safe, non-toxic repellents.
Clarkson has since contacted Watford Borough Council and The Fox Project for assistance. She said she hopes the incident will raise awareness among other families living in areas where foxes are common.
While foxes are a familiar sight in many UK towns and cities, experts stress that serious attacks on people are rare. Nevertheless, the Watford incident has highlighted the potential danger of leaving external doors open when young children are inside.
For the Clarkson family, what began as an ordinary night ended with a frightening rush to hospital — and a renewed determination to keep their children safe from wildlife entering their home.
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