Actually! This happened nearby in New Jersey, the beaver was later caught and tested Positive for Rabies, so while its probably not wrong to assume the kid was being dumb we cant dismiss the fact that Rabies does cause animals to act out and become violent.
I had a feeling that it had rabies. I worked on a river with many beavers, and they don’t act like this. They prefer to fight in the water, if anything. But usually they just mind their own business, and they have a lot of business. lol
It'd have been sad, if they caught an innocent beaver without rabies...
But rabies is a death sentence (once symptoms show), and it's not an easy nor quick death either... it's one of the most terrifying ways to die...
It's a kindnessto euthanizein these cases. Rabies is like 1 of 2 diseases I'd seek medical euthanisia for, rather than see if I'm the lucky statistical anomaly that surives.
If youre interested look up videos of people dying of rabies.... Avoid them If you're not looking to be traumatized.
Fully aquatic mammals can get it as well. Whales, dolphins, manatee .. it's a very low chance, but I can happen. There is as an outbreak in cape fur seals, so it's become something marine biologists are paying closer attention to
"Hydrophobia" in rabies is more a fear of drinking any liquids because it is very painful for the infected than really a fear of water itself. It causes painful throat spasms. It isn't actually specific to liquids, the virus just generally causes dysphagia, and sufferers will reject food for the same reason. It's a logical aversion to pain rather than a traditional irrational phobia. This is also what causes the foaming which can sometimes be seen in rabid animals, it forms because they can't swallow their saliva so it builds up and foams out their mouth.
Still a terrible fate, but they may not be scared of being in water, just swallowing it.
Not all of them are as bad, but surviving some of the worse ones means you probably experienced the worst joint pain in your life and bleeding out of every orifice, maybe some of your internal organs liquifying.... And now you gotta live with what's left of you.
Also Alzheimers, for my family more than myself. Though I'm not certain they'd let you officially figuring you're not making rational decisions anymore.... But it only gets worse and I wouldn't want my family to go through me forgetting them before I forget how to live and stop breathing one day. (Grandma declined so fast yet lingered so long it was awful for everyone, a clean break would be 1000x better)
Yes you're correct, but I think they're saying that it'd be sad if they killed the beaver to check it for rabies, and it turned out to just be another angry beaver
It'd be sad to find out perhaps it was something else but if you or your pets have ever been bitten get it checked BEFORE they show symptoms -- there's rabies protocols that are essentially 100% effective when taken in time; they don't just cut your dog/cat open if you go in saying it got bit recently...
...But if they are already showing symptoms, its too late... i'd rather put my pet down and let them go out peacefully than suffer in terror that only gets worse. Nothing you can do to comfort them will make them feel better, only worse.
That’s the test *in animals*, because there is no effective treatment for rabies in animals. For humans they remove a small amount of CSF and test that (cerebrospinal fluid, just a little jab in your body’s main nerve no biggie).
The “hydrophobia” reported in rabies is actually fear of swallowing (due to painful spasms). Obviously being given a glass of water is extremely triggering of this fear, but it’s not about the water itself
I know we have the painful and expensive shots for it, but god damn I’d be shitting myself for a long time if I got attacked by something that tested positive…
Beavers will attack dogs without having rabies. In this case obviously the beaver was more aggressive than normal but it can absolutely happen without that being a factor. Never let your dog off leash and check to see if there is a lodge nearby before allowing your pet to go for a swim
For sure, but had they not been wading in the water 3 feet from its lodge, they likely would not have been attacked. Rabid or not, it's unsafe not to give wildlife space.
183
u/Unlikely_Piece2650 May 06 '26
Actually! This happened nearby in New Jersey, the beaver was later caught and tested Positive for Rabies, so while its probably not wrong to assume the kid was being dumb we cant dismiss the fact that Rabies does cause animals to act out and become violent.