A fox that may be infected with rabies is on the loose in a Staten Island nature preserve — and environmental authorities are urging visitors to beware.

A safety advisory is in effect at the Mount Loretto Unique Area, a 241-acre nature preserve on the south shore of Staten Island, after a report that a visitor was bitten by a fox on Friday, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

A safety advisory is in effect at Staten Island’s Mount Loretto Unique Area after a visitor was bitten by a potentially rabid fox. valdisskudre – stock.adobe.com

“DEC is warning all visitors to be vigilant due to the presence of a fox that may be infected with rabies,” the department said in a statement on Saturday.

Visitors should exercise caution and avoid contact with any animals while enjoying the nature preserve, as authorities continue to closely monitor the area for the potentially rabid fox.

The advisory is in effect for Mount Loretto Unique Area through at least Monday, officials said.

The encounter comes as troubling city data revealed that rabid raccoons invading the city’s outer boroughs have led to 20 total rabies cases already logged across Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island this year — a pace 57% faster than last year.

By late August, the Big Apple recorded five cases in Brooklyn, six in Queens and a whopping nine in Staten Island — matching the total for all of 2025.

The advisory is in effect for Mount Loretto Unique Area through at least Monday, officials said. Michael McWeeney

Staten Island has recorded 26 confirmed rabies cases since 2022. The borough is the second-highest total in the city behind Queens, which has reported 39 rabies cases, according to data from the NYC Health Department.

Rabies is a deadly disease typically transmitted when an infected animal bites a human and is most commonly seen among animals such as raccoons, bats, skunks, and foxes, according to experts.

Luckily, the rabies vaccine is very effective and can be administered shortly after exposure. It helps the body kill the virus before it reaches the brain.

After an initial dose of human rabies immune globulin, treatment consists of four doses of the rabies vaccine administered over two weeks.

If an individual is left untreated and begins exhibiting rabies symptoms, the disease almost always results in death.

People should report any sightings of foxes exhibiting unusual behavior in the area to NYSDEC Dispatch at 1-844-DEC-ECOS (1-844-332-3267).