Beaver bites girl, 10, at Seneca Creek State Park

Portion of Montgomery County park closed as officials search for animal

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August 14, 2026 4:39 p.m. | Updated: August 14, 2026 4:40 p.m.

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A portion of Seneca Creek State Park was closed indefinitely after a 10-year-old girl was bitten by a beaver Thursday afternoon while canoeing, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

As of Friday afternoon, the beaver had not been located, according to the DNR.

The attack occurred around 3:30 p.m. at a bend in Seneca Creek near Berryville Road, close to the Potomac River, DNR said in a Friday press release. The girl was attending a summer camp and canoeing when she was bitten.

Camp counselors removed the beaver, and it escaped into the water, according to DNR. The girl suffered three lacerations to her upper leg and was taken by family members to Suburban Hospital in Bethesda for treatment. No other injuries were reported.

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Officials have closed the area where the attack occurred along with a one mile of nearby trail, until further notice. A parking lot near the incident has also been restricted with cones, and signs have been posted, according to the DNR.

Other portions of Seneca Creek State Park, including the main area off Clopper Road in Gaithersburg, remain open.

Staff from DNR’s Wildlife and Heritage Service and Seneca Creek State Park are searching for the beaver. Natural Resources Police and local wildlife authorities have been contacted to assist, and Montgomery County Animal Services was notified.

Thursday’s incident follows two beaver attacks at Cunningham Falls State Park in Frederick County. A 13-year-old swimmer was attacked July 26, and a 19-year-old fisherman was attacked Aug. 5. The beavers involved in those incidents were caught, euthanized and tested positive for rabies.

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DNR said the Seneca Creek attack is not considered related to the incidents at Cunningham Falls as the parks are more than 35 miles apart.

The DNR said there is no indication of a rabies outbreak in either Montgomery or Frederick counties, according to data from the counties’ health departments.

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine