Portion of Seneca Creek State Park in Montgomery County Temporarily Closed Following Beaver Attack
Deceased beaver found on Monday confirmed to have rabies; search for additional sick animals is ongoing
Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo
Updated Aug. 19: On August 13 at about 3:30 p.m., Seneca Creek State Park staff received a report of a beaver that attacked and bit a 10-year-old girl in a creek on park property.
On Aug. 17, Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff found a deceased beaver that was sent to the Maryland Department of Health for testing, which confirmed on August 19 the beaver was rabid. DNR and health officials are unable to determine if this beaver is the one that attacked.
The incident occurred at a bend in Seneca Creek near Berryville Road, close to the Potomac River. This area, including about one mile of trail and river access points, will remain closed to visitors as wildlife teams continue to 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. Signs are posted notifying of the incident.
Other areas of the park, including the Lake Area off of Clopper Road in Gaithersburg, remain open.
The child was attending a summer camp and was part of an organized group that, along with other members of the public, was swimming and wading in an area commonly used as a swimming hole. When the animal attacked, camp counselors intervened, removed the beaver, and it escaped into the water. The child sustained three laceration wounds on the upper leg and was taken by family members to be treated at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda. No other injuries were reported.
Separately, a group that was canoeing reported a beaver attempting to charge one of their boats. Nobody was injured in that incident (an earlier report incorrectly stated the attack victim was with that group, but subsequent interviews with witnesses clarified the incident.)
This incident follows two attacks by beavers at Cunningham Falls State Park, more than 36 miles away, on a 13-year-old swimmer July 26 and a 19-year-old fisherman on August 5. Both beavers were caught, euthanized, and tested positive for rabies. With the distance of the two parks from one another, as well as the home range and social behavior of beavers, the incident in Seneca Creek is not considered related to the incidents at Cunningham Falls. According to data from the respective health departments, there is no indication of a rabies outbreak in Frederick County or Montgomery County.
Updates will be made to this release as they are reported and confirmed.