A deceased beaver found at Seneca Creek State Park tested positive for rabies days after a 10-year-old girl was attacked and bitten by a beaver in the park, according to an updated release from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
DNR staff found the deceased beaver on August 17 and sent it to the Maryland Department of Health for testing. Results confirmed on August 19 that the animal was rabid, but officials have been unable to determine whether it was the same beaver involved in the attack. The attack occurred at approximately 3:30pm on August 13 at a bend in Seneca Creek near Berryville Road, close to the Potomac River.
The child was attending a summer camp and swimming and wading with an organized group in an area commonly used as a swimming hole. Camp counselors intervened after the beaver attacked and removed the animal before it escaped into the water. The girl suffered three lacerations to her upper leg and was taken by family members to Suburban Hospital in Bethesda for treatment. No other injuries were reported.
Approximately one mile of trail and river access points in the area will remain closed while wildlife teams search for additional sick beavers or other animals. Access to the adjacent parking lot and the parking lot on Route 28 is restricted by fluorescent orange cones, and signs have been posted notifying visitors of the incident. Other sections of Seneca Creek State Park, including the Lake Area off Clopper Road in Gaithersburg, remain open.
In a separate incident, a canoeing group reported that a beaver attempted to charge one of its boats. No one was injured. DNR said an earlier report incorrectly stated that the child who was bitten had been with the canoeing group.
The incident followed two beaver attacks at Cunningham Falls State Park, located more than 36 miles away. A 13-year-old swimmer was attacked July 26, and a 19-year-old fisherman was attacked August 5. Both beavers involved were captured, euthanized and tested positive for rabies.
DNR said the Seneca Creek incident is not believed to be connected to the attacks at Cunningham Falls due to the distance between the parks and the home range and social behavior of beavers. Health department data does not indicate a rabies outbreak in Montgomery or Frederick counties.
