Maryland Wildlife Officials Seek Beavers After Series of Attacks

Maryland wildlife officials are in search of a beaver that recently attacked a 10-year-old girl at Seneca Creek State Park. This incident marks the third reported beaver attack in the state within a span of less than three weeks.

The girl was swimming with a group at the park in Montgomery County when the beaver attacked her around 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, as stated by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Camp counselors intervened, ensuring the beaver was removed from the girl before it escaped into the water. She sustained three lacerations to her upper leg and was taken by her family to Suburban Hospital in Bethesda for treatment.

According to DNR, beaver attacks on people are rare. The attack took place at a bend in Seneca Creek, near Berryville Road and close to the Potomac River. As a precaution, the area has been closed, including roughly one mile of trail and river access points, until further notice. However, other parts of Seneca Creek State Park remain open, including the Lake Area off Clopper Road in Gaithersburg.

Another group in the area reported a beaver attempting to charge one of their canoes, but no injuries occurred in this instance.

The Seneca Creek attack follows two previous incidents at Cunningham Falls State Park in Frederick County, over 36 miles away. On July 26, a beaver attacked a 13-year-old swimmer. A separate attack occurred on August 5, when a beaver bit a 19-year-old fisherman on the ankle. The fisherman sought treatment for rabies exposure and received a tetanus shot.

The beavers involved in Cunningham Falls were captured and later tested positive for rabies. As a response to these attacks, authorities closed certain areas within the parks to carry out investigations.

DNR clarified that the Seneca Creek incident is considered unrelated to those at Cunningham Falls, given the distances and behavior patterns of beavers. There is no confirmed rabies outbreak in either Montgomery or Frederick County.

Beavers usually avoid human contact. The DNR advises maintaining a distance of at least 25 yards from beavers in natural settings.

Brittany Miller, a Fox News Digital breaking news writer and former Independent reporter, reported on the incidents. She is a Syracuse University graduate.