An ordinary afternoon of fishing turned into a nightmare for an 8-year-old New Jersey boy after a rabid beaver reportedly charged out of a lake and viciously attacked him at a local park.
The frightening incident happened Sunday evening at Continental Soldiers Park near Lake Henry in Mahwah, New Jersey.
According to officials, the young boy had been fishing along the shoreline around 6 p.m. when the beaver suddenly emerged from the water and rushed toward him.
Mahwah Police Captain Michael Blondin said the animal “exited the lake and charged him,” according to local reports.
The terrified child reportedly tried to run away, but tripped during the chaos. That’s when the aggressive beaver attacked, biting him on the upper thigh and continuing the assault.
A family friend quickly jumped in and fought the animal off by kicking and hitting it to stop the attack.
Even after the boy escaped, witnesses said the beaver continued circling the area while emergency responders rushed the injured child to the hospital for treatment.
Officials have not publicly disclosed the boy’s condition.
As authorities investigated the terrifying attack, police reportedly uncovered additional reports of the same beaver behaving aggressively toward other people in the park earlier that day.
An online video that spread across Facebook allegedly showed the animal attacking multiple people near the lake.
Captain Blondin later confirmed that the people seen in the viral video had been identified and were also seeking medical treatment while waiting for the animal’s test results.
Animal control officers eventually captured the beaver after noticing signs that it appeared sick or disoriented.
On Tuesday, the Mahwah Health Department confirmed the worst fears: the beaver tested positive for rabies.
In a public health alert shared online, officials warned residents that several people had come into contact with the infected animal and were now undergoing treatment.
“Individuals who were bitten are currently receiving treatment,” the department said in the statement.
Officials also urged anyone who may have touched or interacted with the beaver to immediately contact health authorities and seek medical evaluation.
Rabies is an extremely dangerous viral disease spread through the saliva of infected animals. According to the Mayo Clinic, rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms begin appearing.
Health experts warn that immediate treatment is critical after any possible exposure.
While rabies cases in humans are rare in the United States, thousands of infected animals are still reported every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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