While we cover a good amount of bear attacks here at MeatEater, a beaver attack isn’t something you hear about too often.
On May 3, an eight-year-old boy was fishing on the shore of Lake Henry in Mahwah, New Jersey, when a beaver emerged out of the water, jaws-style, and headed straight for the kid who was just trying to catch a fish bite.
The beaver shot out of the water and set its sights on the young angler. In his attempt to flee the raging rodent, he tripped on a root, which allowed the beaver to sink its iron-strong incisors into the fishermen’s thigh. Luckily for the boy, help came quickly. Nearby family friends kicked the beaver off and tossed it back into the water.
The boy was taken by Mahwah EMS to Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, New York, for treatment.
While it does look like the young’uns were fishing near a beaver lodge, that’s not necessarily enough to elicit that kind of violence out of the large, semi-aquatic rodent. You might get a few warning tail slaps, but launching out of the water, ready for a fight, is pretty abnormal.
And animal control officers know that. They responded to the reports of strange beaver behavior, trapped the critter, removed it from the park, and had it tested for rabies. No surprise, the beaver tested positive.
The Township of Mahwah posted on Facebook that several people had contact with the infected animal, noting that individuals who were bitten are currently undergoing treatment. They also urge anyone else who came in contact with the rabid rodent to notify the Mahwah Township Health Department immediately.
While beaver attacks are a rare occurrence, they do happen, and it is typically due to rabies, but it is usually a non-fatal encounter for humans. However, a 60-year-old man in Belarus died in 2013 after a beaver bit his femoral artery and he bled out. The beaver in question was not rabid, but he did try to pick it up to take a photo with it when the biting occurred.
The lesson? Don’t mess with wildlife, folks. Rabid or not. Teddy bear- or small SUV-sized. Give ‘em space and take photos from a distance. And if a beaver aggressively charges you, consider finding a new fishing hole.
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