A quiet family fishing trip at Continental Soldiers Park in Mahwah, New Jersey, turned into absolute chaos on Sunday, May 3, when a beaver burst out of Lake Henry and started attacking people.
Cellphone video shot by Michael Noonan from nearby Saddle Brook captured the bizarre scene. In the clip, the beaver repeatedly charges out of the water toward a family of Indian/South Asian descent and their small dog on the shoreline. You can see adults frantically kicking the animal and literally throwing it back into the lake to get rid of it. Noonan, who was filming, can be heard saying,
“It’s f***ing attacking people,”
While laughing at the absurdity of the moment. The beaver just wouldn’t quit.
That night, a wild beaver attacked an 8-year-old boy. He fell while fleeing chomped on the leg. Someone nearby stepped in, striking the animal till it retreated. Paramedics from Mahwah sped him to Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern. Injuries turned out minor.
A tweet from X.
A test came back showing the beaver carried rabies. Right after, health workers in Mahwah warned people: if you were near that animal during those days, get in touch – call 201-529-5757 – for a checkup and maybe treatment.
The first attack happened around 6 p.m. Police say the beaver’s behavior was completely unprovoked classic rabies signs. Rabies messes with the nervous system, making animals lose all fear and act aggressively.
Noonan later joked that it’s
“not every day you see someone toss a beaver.”
The video blew up online after being posted on May 7, racking up hundreds of thousands of views. It sparked the usual mix of shocked reactions, memes about “yeeting” the beaver, and plenty of criticism toward people who were laughing or didn’t pull the dog away from the water sooner.
Strange behavior in a beaver? Back away slowly. Though such attacks almost never occur, rabid cases do pop up now and then. Officials urge caution around any wildlife that seems off acting confused, slow, or too bold. A bite, even a small one, or contact between saliva and open cuts needs swift attention. Medical care right after exposure makes all the difference; treatment is highly effective when begun early.
A kid receives care now because of what happened. Though nothing else has occurred since then, it shows parks near homes aren’t always safe. Wild creatures might seem calm yet they carry risk without warning.
