On Thursday afternoon at about 3:30 p.m., Seneca Creek State Park staff received a report of a beaver that attacked and bit a 10-year-old girl who was canoeing with an organized group in a creek on park property.
The incident occurred at a bend in Seneca Creek near Berryville Road, close to the Potomac River. This area, including about one mile of trail, will be closed until further notice. The adjacent parking lot is restricted by fluorescent orange cones and signs are posted notifying of the incident. Other areas of the park, including the Lake Area off of Clopper Road in Gaithersburg, remain open.
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife and Heritage Service staff and Seneca Creek State Park staff are searching for the beaver. Natural Resources Police and local wildlife authorities have also been contacted for additional support. Montgomery County Animal Services was also notified.
The child was attending a summer camp. When the animal attacked, camp counselors intervened, removed the beaver, and it escaped into the water. The child sustained three laceration wounds on the upper leg and was taken by family members to be treated at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda. No other injuries were reported.
This incident follows two attacks by beavers at Cunningham Falls State Park, more than 36 miles away, on a 13-year-old swimmer July 26 and a 19-year-old fisherman on August 5. Both beavers were caught, euthanized, and tested positive for rabies. With the distance of the two parks from one another, as well as the home range and social behavior of beavers, the incident in Seneca Creek is not considered related to the incidents at Cunningham Falls. According to data from the respective health departments, there is no indication of a rabies outbreak in Frederick County or Montgomery County.
Updates will be made to this release as they are reported.
