New York officials are warning the public to avoid an area on Lake George where two people were recently bitten by a potentially rabid beaver.
Officials with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) have issued a warning for the public to avoid areas around campsites 1 through 5 at Turtle Island on Lake George.
They said the warning is effective through at least Tuesday, July 14, 2026 due to the presence of one or more beavers that may be infected with rabies.
The warning comes after two people were reportedly bitten by a beaver in the area on July 4.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for one of the people involved in the beaver attack. According to the page, Brandon Shortsleeve jumped into the lake when one of his friends was being attacked by the beaver. He was reportedly left with many deep wounds. Shortsleeve and his friend are reportedly being treated with rabies vaccines.
DEC officials who responded to the scene said the attack occurred roughly 150 feet from a beaver dam. However, officials said the attack was most likely due to rabies rather than the beaver being territorial.
DEC officials said visitors to the area should exercise utmost caution and are advised to avoid contact with the beaver while recreating.
DEC officials are continuing to closely monitor the beaver colony and are requesting that visitors report any sightings of beaver in the area demonstrating unusual behavior. The public can report unusual animal behavior at 518-623-1200.
