Teen recovers after rabid beaver bite at Maryland state park

A 13-year-old boy from Maryland is recovering after being attacked by a rabid beaver while swimming at Cunningham Falls State Park on July 26. The animal clamped onto his chest and later bit his right hand before the teen managed to free himself. He was airlifted to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where doctors performed three surgeries to repair nerve damage and administered a series of rabies post-exposure vaccinations.

"He grabbed its head and a leg and he tried to get it off of him … At that point, he kind of felt that it was locked onto him. And then it started shaking its head, kind of like a dog would do," said Jeff Cebula, the boy's father.

The beaver was captured and euthanized, and testing confirmed it was infected with rabies. State officials have reported several similar incidents this month, including attacks on a 19-year-old fisherman and a 10-year-old girl at nearby parks. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has opened an investigation into a possible rabies outbreak at Cunningham Falls, dismantling a beaver lodge and establishing daily surveillance of the lake.

The department advises the public to keep a minimum distance of 25 yards from beavers, which are normally non-aggressive. Health officials note that rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, but it can be prevented with prompt post-exposure prophylaxis.