A girl who was swimming on private property in Georgia was bitten by a rabid beaver. The girl's father then killed the animal by beating it until it died.
Rabid Beaver in Georgia
A young girl was bitten by a rabid beaver when she was swimming in Lake Lanier near Gainesville, Georgia. This was the first such attack in decades, according to officials.
According to Kevin Buecker, the field supervisor at Hall County Animal Control, it was reported that the girl sustained a leg bite from a beaver last Saturday while she was swimming in a privately owned area close to the northern part of the lake, according to accessWDUN.
The beaver's remains were transferred to the Georgia Public Health Lab in Decatur, where a rabies test revealed it to be positive, according to the Hall County Government on Tuesday.
This is the first such beaver attack in more than 20 years, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
The animal was described as the largest beaver the game warden has ever seen, according to DNR Wildlife Resources Supervisor Don McGowan.
The warden assessed the beaver to weigh 50 or 55 pounds, which is about as big as they grow in Georgia, according to McGowan.
Beavers were nearly wiped out in Georgia about a century ago due to unrestricted trapping and habitat destruction, but restoration efforts by wildlife officials over the years have been successful, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
There is no limited season for taking beavers in Georgia, harvest demands are low, and beavers are currently thriving throughout the state.
Rabies and Aggression
It is unclear what sparked the animal's hostility at this time, as officials claim there is no evidence the animal was guarding any newborn beavers nearby.
According to McGowan, rabies could have been the blame for the beaver's behavior.
He said that once the rabies virus enters the animal's brain-in this case, a beaver-they begin to exhibit bizarre behavior.
The county posted a rabies warning sign next to the Sardis Creek Boat Ramp after the incident.
For those who have been bitten by rabid animals or pet owners who want to prevent infection, rabies vaccinations are easily accessible and affordable in the Hall County Animal Shelter, where vaccines cost about $10, FOX News reports.
Also Read: Cat Dies of Rabies After Attack on 5 Locals, 1 Dog in North Carolina
Rabies is an infectious viral disease that affects mammals' central nervous systems and, if untreated, assaults the brain, leading to death.
Early signs of rabies infection include fever, headache, and generalized weakness or pain. In the vicinity of the bite, there can be a prickling or itchy feeling. As the illness advances, additional specific symptoms including insomnia, anxiety, disorientation, and agitation will start to emerge. The person may have delirium and hallucinations, as well as partial paralysis. Due to difficulty swallowing, they will produce more saliva, have trouble swallowing, and develop hydrophobia.
When an infected animal bites or scratches a human or other creature, rabies is spread through the saliva of the infected animal, CBS News reports.
Related Article: First Rabid Moose in Alaska Euthanized After Charging at People; Necropsy Detects Arctic Fox Variant
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