Full Breakdown
Rabid Beaver Attacks Prompt Partial Closure of Cunningham Falls State Park
8/18/2026, 3:44:05 AM
Core Event
Two separate incidents involving rabid beavers have occurred at Cunningham Falls State Park in Frederick County, Maryland. A 13-year-old swimmer was injured on July 26 and airlifted to Johns Hopkins Hospital. A 19-year-old fisherman was bitten on August 5 and treated at Meritus Medical Center. Both animals were euthanized and later tested positive for rabies, leading park officials to close day-use areas around Hunting Creek Lake while wildlife staff assess safety.
Timeline of Incidents
- July 26 – A teenage swimmer sustains hand and chest injuries after a beaver bite; he is airlifted for treatment.
- Following day – The beaver is euthanized and confirmed rabid by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
- August 5 – A 19-year-old fisherman is bitten on the ankle; he receives a tetanus shot and medical evaluation.
- After August 5 – The second beaver is euthanized and also tests positive for rabies.
Official Response and Safety Measures
Joe Zimmermann, public information officer for the Maryland DNR, said park staff are conducting nighttime thermal-imaging surveys and have set traps to locate any additional beavers. Day-use areas around Hunting Creek Lake will remain closed until wildlife specialists confirm the area is safe. Other park facilities, including camping and hiking trails, stay open for visitors.
Medical Context and Public Health Guidance
Roy Gulick, chief of Infectious Disease at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian, noted that while canine rabies was largely eliminated in the United States by the 1970s, wildlife such as bats, foxes, raccoons and skunks continue to transmit the virus. Brian Labus, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the UNLV School of Public Health, and Dr. Cheyenne Falat of the University of Maryland Medical Center emphasized that rabies is present in the saliva of infected animals and that beavers may display atypical daytime activity, excess salivation, or loss of coordination when infected.
Medical experts advise anyone bitten or scratched by a wild animal to wash the wound with soap and water for 10–15 minutes, seek immediate medical care, and begin the recommended series of rabies vaccinations. Reporting the animal to local animal-control authorities is also recommended.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Maryland Department of Natural Resources staff, including wildlife specialists and park staff, are working to ensure the safety of the area and confirm that there are no additional beavers present,” — Zimmermann. He
- “In the U.S., canine rabies was largely eliminated by the 1970s — but bats, foxes, raccoons and skunks have been known to transmit rabies,” — Gulick. CLICK HERE FOR
