It was early Tuesday morning when a man living on City View Drive in Eau Claire got an unexpected wake-up call!

He awoke to the bite,” said Courtenay Johnson, with the Eau Claire City-County Health Department. “So, he was sleeping when it happened and the animal did come into his home. We believe that he left a patio door open."

Johnson says the elderly man wasn’t able to identify the animal that bit him. But, she thinks it could be a raccoon.

"What it might be sick with could be any number of things. We don't even know the type of animal, so the disease or sickness couldn't be diagnosed without knowing that."

Nevertheless, Johnson says the animal could still be acting strangely – making it a hazard for humans and pets.

"We assume that an animal wouldn't normally just walk into a home and bite a sleeping individual who didn't pose any threat at all to the animal,” Johnson said.

Now, she wants people living near City View Drive on Eau Claire’s south side to keep an eye on their yards. If you see a wild animal that looks sick, leave it alone, and call for help.

"People are very sympathetic to a sick or confused animal and they have the desire to help the animals and that really is not advised,” Johnson said. “Sick animals can feel very threatened, not nurtured as we as humans might feel. And they can lash out and they can bite and they can transfer whatever disease it might have.”

Johnson says the man was taken to a local hospital for treatment following the bite.

If you spot a wild animal in the city that looks sick or confused, the Health Department wants you to call Eau Claire Police at 715-839-4972.