ROXBORO, N.C. (NC NOW) – A North Carolina man was reportedly attacked by a coyote this past week, and he fought it off with his bare hands.

News station WNCN reported that the coyote emerged from the woods and charged toward James Pulliam near an apartment complex in Roxboro on Friday, May 16.

Pulliam told the station he fought the coyote for about 20 minutes before help arrived.

“I’m throwing rocks and grass, everything I can,” Pulliam said, recalling the fight. “I put him down and put my knee on his throat. I had to rip my hand out of his mouth.”

Pulliam told WNCN that he eventually put his hands around the animal’s neck and started choking it.

WNCN said the 24-year-old man sustained multiple bites and underwent a series of antibiotics and rabies shots.

Five days after the attack, Person County Animal Services said the coyote tested positive for rabies.

The agency said exposure to rabies requires “immediate medical attention,” and said contracting the disease is “100% preventable” if treated quickly.

According to Person County Animal Services, the following can be signs of a rabid animal:

• Aggressive or unusually friendly behavior
• Difficulty walking, staggering
• Foaming at the mouth
• Excessive drooling
• Disorientation or paralysis

Anyone who believes they have been bit by a rabid animal should seek immediate medical help.

North Carolina Wildlife said that anyone who comes in contact with a coyote should stand tall and be assertive, wave arms and make loud noises, and avoid running away. Running could trigger the animal’s instinct to chase.

Person County is north of Durham on the North Carolina-Virginia border. Roxboro is the county seat and is in the central part of Person County.

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***FILE Image Credit: NC Wildlife