A family fishing trip was frighteningly interrupted when a beaver rushed from the water and attacked an 8-year-old boy near the shoreline.
According to News 12 New Jersey, it happened Sunday evening at Lake Henry in Mahwah's Continental Soldiers Park.
"The child began to run away but tripped," police said. "The animal bit the child in the upper thigh and continued to attack him."
A family friend intervened and fought the animal off, hitting and kicking it until it retreated. Footage shared on Facebook showed the encounter, and while the caption treated it lightly, the situation was serious. Emergency medical service crews transported the boy to a local hospital for treatment.
Authorities said the beaver remained in the area, circling nearby, and police later learned that the same animal may have also attacked other park visitors earlier Sunday. Those individuals also sought medical treatment.
Animal control officers responded and eventually captured the beaver, noting that the animal seemed ill and would be sent for testing. The Mahwah Health Department reported that it tested positive for rabies.
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"Everyone is advised to avoid wildlife, as any warm-blooded animal can carry rabies," it wrote in a Facebook post.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rabies is rare in people in the United States, with fewer than 10 deaths reported annually. However, it remains a significant public health threat because wildlife around the nation carry it.
The episode serves as a stark reminder that wildlife encounters can quickly become dangerous in public parks and suburban green spaces, where people and animals often coexist.
As habitat loss and climate changes force wildlife closer to humans, interactions like this will likely become more common. A nine-year-old boy was attacked by a rabid fox last year and treated for the disease.
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For anyone who spends time outside, the message is straightforward: Stay alert around wildlife, keep a safe distance, and report unusual animal behavior immediately.
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