Maryland Closes 1 Mile of Seneca Creek After 10-Year-Old Bitten by Rabid Beaver

3 articles · Updated · A-Z Animals · Aug 24

Seneca Creek State Park closed about 1 mile of trail and river access after a 10-year-old girl was bitten on August 13 while wading during summer camp.
Park staff are now searching the area for more sick beavers because a dead beaver found nearby on August 17 tested positive for rabies, though officials still cannot confirm it was the attacker.
The search follows three confirmed beaver attacks in Maryland this summer, including a 13-year-old and a 19-year-old bitten at Cunningham Falls State Park; both animals there also tested positive.
Maryland natural resources officials said as of August 19 they see no sign of a rabies outbreak and do not believe the two Seneca Creek incidents are linked, but they still urge visitors to stay 25 yards away from wildlife and report abnormal behavior.