MONKTON, Md. — With 20 acres of cultured gardens and well over 200 more acres of fields and wooded terrain, the Ladew Topiary Gardens are one with nature including one infected animal, which was, at least initially, cause for alarm.
“I think a visitor or a staff member noticed that there was a deceased raccoon off of a nature walk,” said Director Emily Emerick, “Our staff went and investigated and reached out to Harford County Health Department, which is what we do in situations like that. The county tested it and it was positive for rabies.”
As a precaution, the health department is warning the public that if people or their pets previously came into contact with the raccoon, they should report it, but the gardens will remain open until they close for the winter as usual at the end of the month.
“Here, we’re going along business is beautiful. Gardens are looking wonderful. Visitors are coming in so we haven’t been advised to be concerned or wary or change any of our normal patterns at all,” said Emerick.
The incident has raised awareness about the ongoing spike in rabies cases at the gardens, where staff got a crash course in some important “do’s” and “don’ts”.
“The important thing about this, if anyone finds a deceased raccoon or animal on their property, reach out to your health department and find out the proper way to remove it, because you don’t want to contaminate yourself in the instance of an animal that has rabies,” said Emerick, “It’s out there. Keep your pets vaccinated and make sure you follow the proper procedures if you come upon an animal.”
