A man fought off and killed a coyote that attacked his two-year-old son while out walking with his family.
Ian O'Reilly from New Hampshire, choked the animal, which is believed to have been rabid, after it attack his family near a pond in Kensington.
The father-of-three said he had no choice but to "become the aggressor" in order to save his family.
Mr O'Reilly was injured in the struggle, receiving a bite to his arm and chest, Exeter Police confirmed.
His son was also bitten, but a snowsuit saved the bite from penetrating the child's skin.
Exeter Police were called around 11am on Monday about the incident. The animal is now being tested for rabies.
Police in Kensington reported other town residents having an issue with the same coyote that day.
It is said to have tried to attack a car around 8.40am, and the passenger managed to take a photograph of the animal.
Around 15 minutes later it tried to attack the dogs of 62-year-old resident Pat Lee.
It was not the first time the family had come to blows with a rabid animal. Last year, Mr O'Reilly's four-year-old was set upon by a rabid racoon in the family's garden.
