DEEP: Aggressive Beaver That Attacked Swimmers Still on the Loose

KILLINGLY, CT — An aggressive beaver that attacked two swimmers in the Quinebaug River on Monday in the vicinity of the Route 101 bridge on the Pomfret/Killingly town line is still on the loose, a state environmental official said on Wednesday.

The search for the animal began Tuesday and swimmers and other recreational enthusiasts were still being warned, state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection spokesman Dennis Schain said.

Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Environmental Conservation Police said Tuesday that a Danielson man and woman were swimming in the water there just before 7 p.m. when they were bitten by an animal that appeared to be a beaver.

The 20-year-old man and 19-year old woman made their way to Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam, where they both received stitches for their wounds, EnCon police said.

EnCon Police said they searched for the animal and did encounter a beaver exhibiting aggressive behavior on Tuesday near the bridge on Route 101, but they were unable to capture the animal.

Authorities said there have been occasional cases of a healthy beaver being aggressive toward humans and there have also been a few cases when tests have shown a beaver to be infected with rabies. It is unclear if the beaver in the Quinebaug was healthy or had rabies, EnCon police said.

EnCon Police say beavers do not appear to be making their homes in the immediate area where the attack took place Monday evening. They did say there was a beaver den and also some beavers denning in the bank of the river "somewhat to the south" of that location.

Photo Credit: CT DEEP