Rabid beaver chases children

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SPRINGFIELD, Va., Sept. 12 (UPI) -- A rabid beaver chased children at a Virginia nature center after jumping out of a pond, but no one was injured, police said.

The beaver attacked a group completing a fishing competition on a dock at the Hidden Pond Nature Center in Springfield, Va., Saturday morning, when it swam toward the dock, leaped out of the water and was seen acting aggressively and chasing the children, Fairfax County, Va., police said.

An animal control officer arrived, cleared the area and shot the animal. Tests later determined the beaver was rabid, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.

The incident occurred several days after an 83-year-old woman was bitten by a rabid beaver at Lake Barcroft in nearby Bailey's Crossroads, Va., the newspaper said.