New Details Emerge About Maryland’s 3rd Beaver Attack

GAITHERSBURG, MD — Officials investigating an unprecedented third beaver attack in Maryland have issued new details about the Aug. 13 incident at Seneca Creek State Park.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources clarified Tuesday that the 10-year-old girl bitten by a beaver was not canoeing when the attack occurred.

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Now, officials say the girl was attacked by the beaver while she was swimming and wading with a summer camp group in a popular swimming hole in Seneca Creek.

It was in a separate incident that a beaver targeted a group of people canoeing. Citing witness testimony, MDNR officials said the beaver had attempted to charge one of the boats during that encounter.

The girl remains the sole individual who suffered any injuries — three lacerations to her upper leg — during the Aug. 13 beaver attack.

A search for the beaver remains ongoing, as it slipped back into the water after being pulled off the girl by camp counselors.

Closures at the state park are in place near Berryville Road and the surrounding trails. Access to the adjacent parking lot and the lot on Route 28 is blocked off for the time being.

Residents are urged to avoid the area until the beaver is caught by wildlife officials.

Rabies Outbreak?

State authorities say there is no indication of a rabies outbreak in Maryland, although two cases of rabid beavers were confirmed over 40 miles away in neighboring Frederick County.

The two cases involved a 13-year-old swimmer who was attacked by a beaver on July 26 and a 19-year-old fisherman bitten on Aug. 5.

Related:

• 13-Year-Old Boy Bitten By Rabid Beaver At Cunningham Falls State Park
• 2nd Beaver Tests Positive For Rabies After Attacking Fisherman

Both incidents took place at the Cunningham Falls State Park.

Based on data from each county's health departments, the social behaviors of beavers, and the distance between the two parks, the cases are not believed to be connected.

Authorities have underscored that beaver attacks are rare, as the animal prefers to avoid contact with humans altogether.

Before the latest incidents, Maryland last recorded beaver attacks in 2015 and 2021, according to the Frederick County Department of Health.