Image: rabid_beaver

A rabid beaver attacked several people, including an 8-year-old boy, near a New Jersey lake. (Photo by Stephen A. Waycott)

An 8-year-old boy and other individuals are undergoing treatment for rabies exposure after a rabid beaver charged out of a New Jersey lake and attacked the child. The encounter was caught on video.

According to livenowfox.com, the boy was with a group of people fishing off the bank at Lake Hendry in Mahwah when the animal suddenly emerged from the water and lunged at the child as he stood near the shoreline.

Video footage shows the boy trying to scramble up the bank away from the beaver as it bites him on the thigh.

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Others in the group tried to help, and one of them grabbed the beaver and hurled it back into the lake. The video also shows a dog barking at the aggressive beaver as it swam along the water’s edge.

The boy was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Officials later confirmed that the beaver was infected with rabies. The Mahwah Township Health Department said a number of people had contact with the animal over the weekend and should seek immediate evaluation.

"Individuals who were bitten are currently receiving treatment," the department said.