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A peaceful fishing trip took a dramatic turn when a rabid beaver unexpectedly charged at an 8-year-old boy at a New Jersey lake, in a startling incident captured on video.
The unsettling event unfolded on Sunday at Lake Henry in Mahwah. According to police, the beaver emerged abruptly from the water, launching itself at the young boy as he stood by the shore.
In the footage, the boy can be seen desperately scrambling up the bank to escape, with the beaver hot on his heels, eventually sinking its teeth into his thigh.
Swift to react, other children leaped into action. One child managed to grab the beaver and hurled it back into the lake.
A small dog also appears in the video, bravely attempting to repel the aggressive animal as it erratically prowled along the edge of the water.
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.
“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)
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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