Rabid beaver attacks boy fishing at New Jersey lake, prompting health officials to warn residents

Rabid beaver attacks boy fishing at New Jersey lake, prompting health officials to warn residents

Beaver tested positive for rabies after biting child on thigh at Lake Henry in Mahwah

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Rabid beaver attacks boy fishing with friends at New Jersey lake

A rabid beaver charged and bit a boy who was fishing with friends at Lake Henry in Mahwah, New Jersey. (Michael Noonan via Storyful)

A quiet day of fishing turned chaotic when a rabid beaver charged out of a New Jersey lake and attacked an 8-year-old boy in a frightening encounter caught on video.

The attack happened Sunday at Lake Henry in Mahwah, where the animal suddenly emerged from the water and lunged at the child as he stood near the shoreline, police said.

Video of the incident shows the boy trying to scramble up the bank to safety as the beaver chases him before biting him on the thigh.

Other children then rushed in to help, with one grabbing the animal and throwing it back into the lake.

A small dog is also seen on video trying to fend off the aggressive beaver as it moved erratically along the water’s edge.

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Police said the beaver charged the boy near the shoreline. The beaver later tested positive for rabies. Health officials urged anyone who came in contact with the animal to seek immediate medical evaluation. (Michael Noonan via Storyful)

Authorities said the boy was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, New York, for treatment.

Officials later confirmed the beaver tested positive for rabies.

A rabid beaver charged out of Lake Henry in Mahwah, New Jersey, and attacked an 8-year-old boy on May 3, 2026. (Michael Noonan via Storyful)

The Mahwah Township Health Department said the animal had contact with multiple people over the weekend, and anyone who may have been exposed should seek immediate medical evaluation.

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"Individuals who were bitten are currently receiving treatment," the department said, urging residents to report any contact with the animal.

A beaver chews on a stick in the Boise River near 32nd Street in Garden City, Idaho, in late April. (Sarah A. Miller/Idaho Statesman/Tribune News Service)

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Health officials warned that rabies can be carried by any warm-blooded animal and advised the public to avoid wildlife.

The incident remains under investigation.

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