Watch out New Jersey… there could be a rabid beaver running amuck in your area.
Fortunately, the beaver suffering from rabies in this video has been captured and is no longer a threat. But that doesn’t mean that there’s not other rabid beavers out there. Especially when you consider that this one appeared to be on a biting frenzy as of late, and it’s been confirmed that it sunk its teeth into multiple people last weekend before it was caught by animal control.
Beavers are not known to be aggressive animals. They only confront humans if they feel threatened, someone has gotten too close to their dam, or if they have an illness that affects their demeanor… like rabies. But if they do attack, they have some big teeth that can cause very serious injuries. Just look at a beaver skull and tell me that’s an animal you want to tangle with:
This particular rodent (beavers are actually the second-largest member of the rodent family) caused quite the commotion at Lake Henry in the Continental Soldiers Park complex just a few days ago.
Police responded to the area after they received reports of multiple beaver attacks. An 8-year-old boy was fishing on the shoreline when the beaver exited the water, charged at him, and then bit the boy on the leg. Earlier in the day, another group visiting the lake were attacked by the same beaver, and someone was there to get it on video.
The footage below is pure chaos. It looks like a family was maybe doing a little lakeside picnic when the rabid beaver attacked. The beaver encounter quickly became a family affair, as the younger pair helped the older individual break free from the wrath of the rodent. Even when they exited the water, the beaver kept on coming after them.
It only stopped its pursuit once one of them picked it up by the skin on its back and threw (it was more of a “yeet,” if you ask me) the beaver back into the water. Of course, you can see the big beaver dam in the water right near the shore.
All in all, it’s one of the more wild videos you’ll ever see, and the Instagram account that shared the clip tied in the video with the story of the 8-year-old being bitten by what’s assumed is the same beaver later in the day:
“Video captured an 8-year-old boy getting attacked by a beaver at Lake Henry in Mahwah, NJ around 6 p.m. on Sunday. The boy was transported to a local hospital by EMS crews for treatment. The beaver was later captured and sent for testing. The results came back positive for rabies. Anyone who may have been in contact with this beaver is urged to notify the Mahwah Township Health Department so that they can be assessed by a doctor.”
Just to be clear… that’s not the 8-year-old boy being bite by a beaver in that video. This video is of a separate incident of that same beaver attacking another family. Regardless, the Mahwah Township Health Department informed the community that multiple people were bitten by rabid beaver, and advised anyone else who may have come in contact with the animal to seek medical treatment:
“Individuals who were bitten are currently receiving treatment. If you have had any contact with this animal, please notify the Mahwah Township Health Department immediately. You will need to be assessed by a doctor for medical treatment. Everyone is advised to avoid wildlife, as any warm-blooded animal can carry rabies.”
Stay safe out there folks.
