Over the weekend, a little girl swimming in Georgia’s Lake Lanier near Gainesville was attacked and bitten by a rabid beaver. According to Kevin Beucker, the Field Supervisor for Hall County Animal Control, the incident happened on private land in the north end of the lake.
The beaver bit the girl on her leg, leading her father to intervene and kill the animal.
Don McGowan, the supervisor for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division, stated that a game warden present at the scene described the beaver as the “biggest” they’ve “ever seen.” Reportedly, the animal weighed around 50-55 pounds, which is the maximum size for beavers in Georgia.
Subsequently, the beaver tested positive for rabies. McGowan further commented that rabies can cause an animal to act erratically. If a person is scratched or bitten by an animal suspected of having rabies, medical experts advise them to get shots to stop the virus, as it is nearly always fatal if left untreated.