Recently many guests and employees at Saguaro National Park, just outside of Tucson, Arizona, have noticed that various animals in the park have been displaying odd behaviors. Primarily, the odd behaviors have come from foxes, raccoons, and at least one bobcat. Upon further investigation into the situation, park officials have officially released their theory as to the explanation of the odd behavior. This theory poses one party responsible for this situation: rabies.

In addition to the odd behavior, there have been several foxes that have been found dead in the park.

The official news report positing this theory from the park officials came out earlier this week, on Tuesday, January 23. This followed the investigation which launched into full effect after a 66-year-old man was attacked by a bobcat on Sunday, January 21. This attack occurred on the eastern part of the national park. In the attack, the man was reportedly bit and scratched. As a result of the injuries, he was taken to a hospital immediately. The bobcat responsible for the attack was able to get away and is still on the loose in the park.

Officials are unsure of which animal was the first infected and began to spread the disease, but they are confident in the diagnosis of rabies. They have not captured any animals yet or tested any carcasses, so they do not yet have any hard evidence to confirm rabies is present in the animals’ systems.

Officials have issued a warning to park visitors to heed with caution.

If you decide to continue to visit the park at this time, be aware of the signs of rabies in case you come into a possibly rabid animal. If you see any of these signs, please report them to park officials. Animals infected with rabies often lose fear of humans, so they are more likely to closely approach you. They usually are very sleepy, confused, and aggressive. The animal is likely to have prominent drool or frothing at the mouth. Additionally, they may move awkwardly or even have difficulty moving. The animal may even look paralyzed. Sometimes the animal may even display off behaviors, such as biting into the air.