This is the 11th column in the "Predator Watch" series, and so far we’ve looked at attacks by bears, coyotes, sharks, mountain lions, snakes, and deer, among others. Future columns will surely cover even more fearsome predators on other continents like lions, tigers, and — perhaps the most dangerous of all — hippos. There’s one threat I didn’t foresee writing about, however: animal unknown.
This story comes out of Oklahoma, and while the details of the attack itself are horrible, the backstory of the victim, a 38-year-old mother, makes it even more devastating. According to The Independent, Alicia Maxey, a mother of four, is the primary breadwinner for her family because her husband is undergoing dialysis as he waits for a kidney transplant.
The details about the incident that took place on March 29 are sparse, but here’s what we know. Maxey did not see the animal that attacked her in a remote yard but did report hearing a “deep growl” right before it happened. According to her sister-in-law, “Something just pounced on her and knocked her to the ground.” A homeowner in the area who is also an EMT found Maxey unconscious and seriously injured about an hour after she was attacked. After the homeowner performed lifesaving measures on Maxey, a medical helicopter took her to the hospital. The injuries to her face, legs, and arms were so severe that she has needed four major surgeries so far and is still fighting for her life.
Pittsburg County Sheriff Frankie McClendon’s words reveal the gravity of the attack: “In 38 years, I’ve never been involved in or seen anything like this in terms of injuries caused by a wild animal.”
So what wild animal was it? Or was it even a wild animal?
According to her sister-in-law, Maxey "described it as dog-like, but she didn’t say for certain that it was a dog.”
But could a dog really have caused such severe injuries? According to FOX 23, “While the family initially believed a dog was responsible, the sheer scale of the injuries has prompted the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office to bring in wildlife experts to solve the mystery of what kind of animal attacked Alicia.” Maxey's clothing and other evidence are being tested for animal DNA, and authorities say that if the animal was not a dog, it could have been a bear or a mountain lion.
Oklahoma is home to black bears, and Pittsburg County, where the attack happened, has one of the highest bear populations in the state. However, according to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC), bear reports usually start coming in during May, with August typically seeing the highest number of reports. Perhaps pertinent to this case, ODWC says, "Bears will typically visit human residences that are surrounded by easy-to-access escape cover. This means sparsely populated areas nestled in the woods.”
Related: Predator Watch: Southern California Rattlesnake Warning Following 2 Deaths
How about mountain lions? A local story noted last year that "Oklahoma’s mountain lions are back – and they’re not just passing through." But while sightings might be increasing, there are no recent stories of attacks on humans in the state by mountain lions — just as there aren’t for bears — which only deepens the mystery.
Whatever the animal was that attacked her, Maxey is lucky to be alive, although the road ahead will not be easy. “I’m in too much pain to say anything right now,” she told a local news outlet.
A message from her sister-in-law on a GoFundMe set up for Maxey shows that her struggles go beyond the physical: "Now, with Alicia unable to work, their family is struggling to keep up with daily expenses. Their only vehicle was towed after the incident and is accumulating fees every day, making it even harder for Wallace to get to his dialysis appointments, which are almost two hours away."
An interesting story from 2012 in Kentucky has some similarities to this case. In Shelby County, several animals were viciously attacked — a donkey had its ears shredded, and a goat lost an ear — and it was a mystery what animal was to blame. Local news outlet WDRB reported:
But what is it? Kentucky Fish and Wildlife experts say it's likely not a wolf, big cat, or some sort of "mythical" creature.
"That's indicative to a canine dog, a coyote is more of an oblong round," said Sgt. Doug Detherege, examining one of the tracks left by the animal. "If it was a big cat, it wouldn't show any toenail marks at all."
And they think the dog is domestic, and likely has been contained by its owner, since the last attack was over a week ago.
Was it a domestic dog that attacked Alicia Maxey? Share your theories in the comments.
