Beaver tests positive for rabies after attacks
Witness video showed a beaver attacking a family at Mahwah, New Jersey. Animal control confirmed the animal tested positive for rabies.
A series of beaver attacks have occurred in Maryland over the summer. The latest is the third such attack of the season.
A news release from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources states Seneca Creek State Park staff received a report of a beaver that attacked and bit a 10-year-old girl who was swimming and wading in a creek on park property on Thursday, Aug. 13.
The attack occurred around 3:30 p.m. ET while the child was attending summer camp close to the Potomac River. After the beaver bit the child, counselors intervened and the animal escaped in the water. Family members transported the child to Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, due to laceration wounds on her upper leg, the news release states.
Agency staff are searching for the animal and have closed the area where the attack occurred until further notice.
A canoeing group in the same park also reported a beaver attempted to charge one of their boats. No injuries were reported in connection with that incident.
USA TODAY has contacted the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for additional information.
Previous beaver attacks in Maryland this summer
On Aug. 5, a 19-year-old fisherman was attacked by a beaver at Cunningham Falls State Park, more than 36 miles from the Aug. 13 attack, according to an earlier news release.
The 19-year-old sustained a bite to the ankle and transported himself to Meritus Medical Center in Hagerstown, Maryland, for treatment. At the hospital, the man received treatment for rabies exposure and a tetanus shot. The beaver was caught, euthanized and tested positive for rabies.
On July 26, a beaver attacked a 13-year-old swimmer. In that incident, the beaver was also caught, euthanized and tested positive for rabies on July 27.
Last week’s incident is not related to the earlier attacks, authorities said, due to the distance between the two parks, the beavers’ home ranges and their social behaviors.
Data from state health departments shows there’s no indication of a rabies outbreak in Frederick or Montgomery counties, where the reported beaver attacks occurred.
After the July 26 incident, officials dismantled a nearby beaver lodge and established daily surveillance at the lake for other beavers.
Beaver attacks are rare
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, beaver attacks on people or pets are rare, but they can occur if a beaver feels threatened or is infected with rabies.
Prior to this year’s incidents, the last recorded beaver attacks in Maryland were in 2021 and 2015.
Beavers are considered non-aggressive animals and typically avoid human contact. Still, the agency advises people to maintain a safe minimum viewing distance of 25 yards away.
Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com.