OUTFOXED

Euthanized Fox Who Bit a Congressman Tests Positive for Rabies

The fate of her captured kits remains unclear.

A mother fox who bit at least nine people near the U.S. Capitol—including a congressman—was euthanized and ultimately “tested positive” for rabies, D.C. Health officials said. The animals’ kits were also captured by authorities, but what will become of them remains unclear. Health officials said they were working to contact all nine people who had confirmed bites and are still mulling “next steps for the fox kits.” Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA) told reporters on Tuesday that he’d been bitten by the fox. “[I] felt something lunge at the back of my leg. “[I] felt something lunge at the back of my leg. Thought it was going to be a small dog or something. Kind of jumped and then it’s, that’s not a dog. It’s a fox,” Bera said. “You know, somebody started saying, ‘Hey, there’s a fox attacking that guy.’”