Delco infant seriously injured in ferret attack

An infant suffered serious facial injuries Thursday after being attacked by pet ferrets inside her Darby Borough home.

The one-month-old baby was placed in her car seat and left on the floor of the home on the 300 block of Poplar Street as her mother went upstairs, police said.

Around 3:30 p.m., three ferrets escaped from a cloth cage and attacked the child, chewing her nose, top lip and cheek area, according to investigators.

Police said the animals consumed between 15 and 20 percent of the baby's face.

She was rushed into emergency surgery at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Though she was listed in stable condition, she remained in intensive care Friday, police said.

Child and Youth Services removed four other children from the household and placed them in the custody of relatives.

Chief Robert Smythe, of the Darby Borough Police Department, described the home as a "house in crisis," saying investigators found more food for the family's pets – including the ferrets, six cats and two turtles – than they did for the children.

Charges are pending against both parents as police await a response from the District Attorney's Office, Smythe said.

- Philly.com staff writer Alex Wiggleworth contributed to this report