Man subdues rabid bobcat by strangling it

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PHOENIX, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- An Arizona man subdued a rabid wildcat by strangling it and putting his knee into its chest, state wildlife officials said.

Randy Babb of the Arizona Game and Fish Department said the attack occurred Monday in the man's yard near Crown King Trail in Yavapai County. The man's name has been withheld due to privacy laws, KPHO-TV, Phoenix, reported.

The bobcat's test for rabies came back positive Tuesday, officials said.

"Animals, especially small ones, just don't go around attacking people -- (they) go to great lengths to avoid humans. When you see an attack like that, you know there's something else at work," Babb said.

As of Dec. 7, 244 animals have tested positive for rabies -- a record number, the Arizona Department of Health Services said.

In 2008, Arizona reported 176 animals with rabies, also a record, KPHO-TV said.