At
Cu i gham
Falls
State
Pa k,
two
people
expe ie ced
beave
bites
that
esulted
i
positive
abies
tests
fo
both
a imals
i volved.
Co seque tly,
pa k
autho ities
have
est icted
access
to
wate
a eas
to
e su e
public
safety.
O goi g
su veilla ce
is
focused
o
assessi g
the
abies
situatio ,
a d
est ictio s
will
pe sist
u til
health
officials
co fi m
that
the
pa k
is
safe
fo
all
visito s.
Two
people
have
bee
bitte
by
beave s
at
a
popula
Ma yla d
state
pa k
i
less
tha
two
weeks,
p ompti g
officials
to
pa tially
close
the
a ea
while
they
i vestigate
a
possible
abies
outb eak
amo g
the
local
beave
populatio .
The
latest
i cide t
occu ed
o
August
5
at
Cu i gham
Falls
State
Pa k
i
F ede ick
Cou ty,
whe
a
19-yea -old
ma
was
bitte
o
the
a kle
while
fishi g.
The
attack
followed
a
July
26
i cide t
i
which
a
13-yea -old
swimme
was
bitte
by
a othe
beave
at
the
same
pa k.
Both
a imals
we e
captu ed
a d
eutha ised,
with
testi g
co fi mi g
that
they
had
abies.
Autho ities
have
ow
ba ed
swimmi g,
fishi g,
boati g
a d
othe
wate
access
i
affected
a eas.
Two
beave
attacks
epo ted
withi
days
The
fi st
epo ted
attack
happe ed
o
July
26,
whe
a
13-yea -old
swimme
was
bitte
by
a
beave
at
Cu i gham
Falls
State
Pa k.
Natu al
Resou ces
Police
office s
captu ed
the
a imal
afte
the
i cide t,
a d
it
was
late
eutha ised
a d
tested
fo
abies.
The
test
came
back
positive.Less
tha
two
weeks
late ,
a othe
visito
was
attacked.
O
August
5,
a
19-yea -old
ma
was
fishi g
whe
a
agg essive
beave
bit
him
o
the
a kle.
He
was
able
to
d ive
himself
to
Me itus
Medical
Ce te
i
Hage stow
fo
t eatme t.Natu al
Resou ces
Police
office s
espo ded
to
the
seco d
i cide t,
captu ed
the
beave
a d
eutha ised
it.
The
F ede ick
Cou ty
Health
Depa tme t
subseque tly
co fi med
that
this
a imal
also
tested
positive
fo
abies.
Pa k
closes
swimmi g
a d
wate
a eas
Followi g
the
seco d
attack,
Ma yla d
officials
closed
seve al
a eas
of
Cu i gham
Falls
State
Pa k
to
visito s.The
closu e
i cludes
the
William
Houck
Day
Use
A ea,
boat
amp,
Dam
Lot
a d
Big
Hu ti g
C eek
above
the
lake,
acco di g
to
the
Ma yla d
Depa tme t
of
Natu al
Resou ces.
The
state’s
pa k
se vice
says
the
emai de
of
the
pa k
emai s
ope ,
but
visito s
a e
cu e tly
p ohibited
f om
swimmi g,
fishi g,
boati g
a d
accessi g
the
wate
i
the
affected
a eas.Officials
said
the
est ictio s
will
emai
i
place
u til
the
a ea
ca
be
co fi med
safe
fo
visito s.The
closu e
is
sig ifica t
because
Cu i gham
Falls
is
a
popula
desti atio
fo
outdoo
ec eatio ,
with
its
lake,
wate fall,
t ails
a d
campi g
facilities
att acti g
la ge
umbe s
of
visito s
du i g
the
wa me
mo ths.
Officials
i vestigate
possible
abies
outb eak
The
Ma yla d
Depa tme t
of
Natu al
Resou ces
said
it
is
i vestigati g
what
it
desc ibed
as
a
possible
abies
outb eak
withi
the
local
beave
populatio .Wildlife
a d
He itage
Se vices
has
i t oduced
both
daytime
a d
ighttime
su veilla ce
a ou d
the
pa k’s
lake
i
a
effo t
to
locate
a d
emove
additio al
beave s.
Officials
also
disma tled
a
beave
lodge
fou d
i
the
pa k
as
pa t
of
the
espo se.The
discove y
of
two
abies-positive
a imals
i volved
i
sepa ate
attacks
withi
such
a
sho t
pe iod
has
aised
co ce s
about
whethe
othe
beave s
i
the
a ea
could
also
be
i fected.Autho ities
have
ot
said
that
eve y
beave
i
the
pa k
is
i fected.
The
i vestigatio
is
i te ded
to
dete mi e
the
exte t
of
the
p oblem
a d
whethe
additio al
a imals
eed
to
be
emoved.
Why
abid
beave s
ca
become
agg essive
Beave s
a e
ge e ally
ot
co side ed
agg essive
towa ds
people.
The
Ma yla d
Natu al
Resou ces
Police
said
attacks
o
huma s
a e
a e
a d
a e
thought
to
p ima ily
i volve
abid
a imals.A
healthy
beave
will
o mally
t y
to
avoid
people.
Rabies
ca
alte
a
i fected
a imal’s
behaviou ,
howeve ,
pote tially
causi g
u usual
agg essio ,
co fusio
a d
othe
ab o mal
behaviou .That
makes
a
appa e tly
fea less
o
u usually
agg essive
beave
a
wa i g
sig
that
visito s
should
take
se iously.The
state’s
wildlife
officials
have
u ged
people
ot
to
app oach
beave s,
eve
though
the
a imals
may
o mally
appea
calm
a ou d
wate ways.
Visito s
told
to
keep
thei
dista ce
Ma yla d
officials
have
advised
people
to
mai tai
a
mi imum
viewi g
dista ce
of
25
ya ds
f om
beave s.The
wa i g
applies
eve
whe
a
a imal
does
ot
appea
agg essive.
App oachi g,
feedi g
o
attempti g
to
photog aph
a
wild
beave
f om
close
a ge
ca
i c ease
the
isk
of
a
e cou te .The
pa k’s
cu e t
closu e
is
desig ed
to
p eve t
visito s
f om
comi g
i to
co tact
with
pote tially
i fected
a imals
while
wildlife
office s
co duct
su veilla ce
a d
emoval
ope atio s.Visito s
should
also
avoid
touchi g
a y
wild
a imal
that
appea s
sick,
i ju ed
o
u usually
tame.
Cu i gham
Falls
is
a
popula
Ma yla d
desti atio
Cu i gham
Falls
State
Pa k
is
located
i
F ede ick
Cou ty,
i
Ma yla d’s
Catocti
Mou tai s.
The
pa k
is
divided
i to
the
William
Houck
A ea
a d
the
Ma o
A ea
a d
offe s
activities
i cludi g
hiki g,
campi g,
fishi g
a d
swimmi g.The
William
Houck
A ea
co tai s
Hu ti g
C eek
Lake
a d
the
pa k’s
amesake
wate fall.
Du i g
the
summe
seaso ,
the
lake
is
o mally
used
fo
swimmi g,
while
fishi g
a d
boati g
a e
also
popula
activities.The
cu e t
est ictio s
the efo e
affect
seve al
of
the
pa k’s
mai
ec eatio al
att actio s,
although
othe
po tio s
of
the
pa k
emai
accessible.
Rabies
equi es
immediate
medical
atte tio
Rabies
is
a
se ious
vi al
disease
that
affects
the
ce t al
e vous
system
a d
is
almost
always
fatal
o ce
cli ical
symptoms
develop.
Howeve ,
p ompt
medical
t eatme t
afte
a
pote tial
exposu e
ca
p eve t
the
disease
f om
developi g.A yo e
bitte
o
sc atched
by
a
pote tially
abid
a imal
should
immediately
seek
medical
advice
athe
tha
waiti g
fo
symptoms
to
appea .I
the
Ma yla d
i cide ts,
the
people
who
we e
bitte
eceived
medical
atte tio .
The
autho ities
have
ot
i dicated
that
eithe
victim
developed
abies.
A othe
abid
beave
attack
occu ed
i
New
Je sey
The
Ma yla d
i cide ts
come
afte
a othe
u usual
beave
attack
ea lie
this
yea
i
Mahwah,
New
Je sey.O
May
3,
a
8-yea -old
boy
was
fishi g
with
his
family
at
He y
Lake
whe
a
beave
eme ged
f om
the
wate
a d
cha ged
at
him.
Acco di g
to
the
Mahwah
Health
Depa tme t,
the
a imal
bit
the
boy
i
the
uppe
thigh
afte
he
fell.Family
membe s
a d
a
bysta de
i te ve ed
a d
pulled
the
a imal
away.
The
beave
was
subseque tly
captu ed,
eutha ised
a d
tested
positive
fo
abies.The
boy
a d
seve al
othe
people
who
we e
bitte
while
helpi g
him
u de we t
abies
t eatme t,
acco di g
to
the
Mahwah
Health
Depa tme t.
Officials
co ti ue
mo ito i g
the
pa k
Fo
ow,
Ma yla d
autho ities
a e
focused
o
dete mi i g
whethe
the
two
abid
beave s
we e
isolated
cases
o
pa t
of
a
wide
p oblem
amo g
a imals
livi g
a ou d
Cu i gham
Falls.The
wildlife
su veilla ce
ope atio
is
co ti ui g
a ou d
the
lake,
while
the
beave
lodge
discove ed
i
the
pa k
has
bee
disma tled.
The
affected
wate
a eas
will
emai
closed
u til
officials
dete mi e
that
visito s
ca
safely
etu .The
i cide ts
a e
also
a
emi de
that
eve
a imals
o mally
ega ded
as
peaceful
wildlife
ca
become
da ge ous
whe
i fected
with
abies.
Visito s
to
pa ks
a d
othe
atu al
a eas
a e
advised
to
obse ve
wild
a imals
f om
a
safe
dista ce
a d
epo t
u usually
agg essive
behaviou
to
autho ities
athe
tha
app oachi g
the
a imal
themselves.
