Rabid Beaver Attacks Visitors at New York Vacation Spot, Authorities Warn

Two men were bitten by an unusually aggressive beaver while swimming at Turtle Island, a small island on the western shore of Lake George in northern New York. Brandon Shortsleib told NBC 5 that the beaver repeatedly attacked his friend during the Independence Day weekend, biting him multiple times. Shortsleib intervened by grabbing the beaver and throwing it far away, sustaining several bites himself in the process.

The incident prompted a serious warning from New York state authorities, who investigated the case through the Department of Environmental Conservation. Five days later, officials found a dead beaver infected with rabies, raising concerns that the aggressive animal might have transmitted the disease to others in the nearby colony. It remains unclear if the rabid beaver was the same one involved in the attack.

Authorities urged campers and visitors in the Turtle Island area to exercise extreme caution, avoid contact with beavers, and immediately report any unusual behavior by these animals. This warning follows a similar incident in May when an 8-year-old boy in New Jersey was attacked by a rabid beaver while fishing at Lake Henry in Continental Soldiers Park. The boy quickly threw the animal back into the water, and the event was widely shared online.

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation emphasized the importance of vigilance during recreational activities near water bodies where wildlife may carry rabies, especially given the recent spate of aggressive beaver encounters.