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Beaver Bites Fisherman: Second Attack at Park
6 Aug
Summary
- A 19-year-old fisherman was bitten by a beaver in Cunningham Falls State Park.
- This is the second beaver attack at the park in two weeks.
- The bitten beaver is being tested for rabies following the incident.
A 19-year-old fisherman suffered a leg injury after being bitten by a beaver at Cunningham Falls State Park on Wednesday morning. This marks the second beaver-related incident at the park within the past two weeks.
The attack occurred in the South Beach Day Use area around 9:30 a.m. The injured fisherman managed to transport himself to a medical facility for treatment.
Following the biting incident, the beaver involved was captured and euthanized by Natural Resources Police. It has been sent for rabies testing by the Maryland Department of Health.
This recent event follows a July 26 attack where a 13-year-old swimmer required airlift evacuation due to an encounter with a rabid beaver, prompting the removal of a nearby lodge.
As a precautionary measure, the Maryland Park Service has temporarily closed the Houck Day Use Area, an adjacent boat ramp, and a section of Big Hunting Creek. Nighttime and daytime surveillance will be conducted to identify and remove any other potentially aggressive beavers.
Beavers are generally non-aggressive animals and rarely attack humans. Previous reported beaver bites in Maryland occurred in 2021 and 2015.
