OKLAHOMA -- Police say a 5-year-old Durant boy suffered injuries to a leg when a 60-pound beaver attacked the youngster, who weighs about 40 pounds.
Durant police Lt. Carrie Wyrick said the boy’s father killed the beaver with a crowbar or lug wrench, and its head has been sent to authorities in Oklahoma City to test it for rabies.
The boy was treated for his injuries at a local hospital and then released, Wyrick said. Wyrick declined to name the child, citing department policy for juveniles.
The family lives in a new apartment complex in a heavily wooded area with a stream nearby, according to Wyrick. She said the boy was attacked after he and a sibling went outside to retrieve the family cat and the boy tried to pet the beaver.
According to Wyrick, 60 pounds is an average weight for a beaver in southeastern Oklahoma, with some of them weighing as much as 90 pounds.
Hmm, maybe you shouldn't let 5 year old children wander into the woods by themselves. And maybe you should teach them not to molest wildlife.
(Edmond Sun - Dec 22, 2009)
