YELLOWKNIFE - Residents of the North Slave are being warned to be cautious of animals acting strangely in the region.

The NWT might be entering a "high-incidence period" of rabies, said a wildlife expert in the North Slave.

Rabid foxes don't always foam at the mouth, said wildlife officer Raymond Bourget. Instead, people should be wary of animals which act differently than usual. - Philippe Morin/NNSL photo

The outbreak - so far confirmed only in foxes of the Lac De Gras area -might pose a threat to humans and dogs, which can contract rabies if bitten.

On March 21, North Slave Senior Wildlife Officer Raymond Bourget said five foxes had been confirmed as rabid since January.

He said some animals were acting suspiciously aggressive, and were destroyed by community residents.

When asked how rabies can be spotted, Bourget said it's not always obvious.

For starters, he said rabid animals do not always foam at the mouth.

"The changes in behavior vary," Bourget said.

"Basically, the most pronounced change is that their personality will flip. If you have an animal that is normally outgoing and likes to be petted, it will become aggressive and withdrawn. Also, if an animal's natural instinct is to avoid people, they may start to come around people," he said.

Bourget added rabies come in two forms, called the "furious" and "dumb" varieties.

While animals with "dumb" rabies get paralyzed and slowly die, those with the "furious" strain will lash out and bite -- often despite having no visible signs of disease.

"The foaming phenomenon occurs in the latter stages of the disease and they can transmit the disease for up to 10 days before they die," Bourget said.

While some medical treatments exist, rabies is very serious if contracted by humans.

If left untreated, it can prove fatal.

When asked what can be done about the problem, Bourget said rabies comes in a natural cycle, which is linked to the density of animals.

He added it is a natural phenomenon and will likely fix itself.

"It's sort of like a natural population control," he said.

"If the population is reduced, then so too will the incidence of rabies."