WELLS, Maine — A man exposed to rabies after handling a raccoon in Wells has been located and referred to appropriate medical resources, according to police.

Wells police said the exposure occurred Monday, Dec. 8, when officers were called to the 1900 block of Sanford Road for a raccoon in the roadway, creating a traffic concern. Police said a man attempted to move the animal by poking it with a stick and then lifting it by the scruff of the neck with his bare hands.

Officers said the raccoon showed signs of severe distress, including porcupine quills embedded in its face. A Wells police officer euthanized the animal, and the Maine Warden Service transported it to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention for testing.

The Maine CDC later confirmed the raccoon tested positive f

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