Rabid Beaver Found Dead At Montgomery Co. Park

GAITHERSBURG, MD — State authorities confirmed Wednesday that a dead beaver found at a Montgomery County park tested positive for rabies.

The latest update by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources states the beaver was found Monday during a search at Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg.

Subscribe

It wasn't until Wednesday that the Maryland Department of Health returned a positive rabies test.

However, both MDNR and MDH officials are unable to confirm whether the rabid beaver was the same animal that attacked a 10-year-old on Aug. 13 near a bend at Seneca Creek.

Related:

• New Details Emerge About Maryland's 3rd Beaver Attack
• Girl Bitten By Beaver In 'Extremely Rare' 3rd MD Attack
• 13-Year-Old Boy Bitten By Rabid Beaver At Cunningham Falls State Park

Closures remain in place until further notice around Seneca Creek near Berryville Road, as well as the surrounding trails and parking lots.

The latest comes after the MDNR clarified that the girl had been attacked while at a swimming hole at the park, and that a beaver had charged at a separate group of people.

Beaver attacks are generally considered rare, with the last incidents occurring in Maryland in 2015 and 2021. Officials say the two attacks reported in Frederick County are not connected to the Montgomery County case.