A fox was caught Tuesday by animal control officials on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol, after several people reported sightings and some said they had been bitten.
In a tweet, the U.S. Capitol Police said a fox has been “captured” and shared several photos of it in a cage.
Wp Get the full experience.Choose your plan ArrowRight
#BREAKING: Captured. pic.twitter.com/LJAn2ZjH9J
— U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) April 5, 2022
Officials had warned the public to be aware after several reports over the past few days of “aggressive” foxes. Tim Barber, a spokesman for the U.S. Capitol Police, said at least half a dozen people have been bitten or nipped by a fox in the past few days.
Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) said in a telephone interview that he was among them — attacked around 5 p.m. Monday, he said, while walking near the Russell Senate Office Building.
“Yesterday was probably my most unusual day on the Hill in 10 years,” Bera said Tuesday.
After feeling something lunge at the back of his leg, Bera said, he turned around, expecting to confront a small dog. Instead, he saw a fox and wielded an umbrella to keep the animal at bay.
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“I’m not going to let that fox get behind me,” he recalled thinking.
After Capitol Police responded, the fox fled in the direction of the Dirksen and Hart Senate office buildings.
A physician by training, Bera then inspected the damage. He found his pant leg perforated, he said, but did not see any punctures or blood on the skin around his calf and ankles.
Out of an abundance of caution, Bera said, he saw an attending physician, who consulted with infectious-disease doctors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He’s now begun a series of 10 shots, he said, including immunoglobulin shots and a tetanus shot, to combat the disease in case he was exposed.
Bera warned tourists and others visiting the nation’s capital to beware.
“Obviously I’ve never seen a fox on the Hill,” he said. “The D.C. population should be cautious.”
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It wasn’t immediately known whether the fox that was caught had rabies. On Tuesday, officials with the Humane Rescue Alliance referred questions about potential rabies to the D.C. Department of Health. A spokesman for the D.C. Department of Health did not immediately respond for comment.
Ximena Bustillo, a reporter for Politico, said Tuesday on Twitter that she was bitten as well.
That feel when you get bit by a fox leaving Capitol cause that’s of course something I expect in THE MIDDLE OF DC.
— Ximena (@Ximena_Bustillo) April 5, 2022
Animal control officials were planning to relocate the fox they trapped Tuesday, Capitol Police said. Officials did not say where the fox would be taken.
In an email, Sam Miller, a spokeswoman for the Humane Rescue Alliance, whose crews were involved in capturing the fox, said officers were able to “net her.” Miller said officers were “working to track down any kits she may have in the area” and that humane traps “have been placed” on the grounds of the Capitol. Miller said animal control officers would also be in contact with U.S. Capitol Police as they are on patrol about any possible future fox sightings.
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Barber said the first fox sighting was around 3 p.m. Monday, and then someone “encountered” one about two hours later.
He said some people were bitten and “others nipped at,” and that it was hard to figure out how many incidents there have been because people were reporting them to various places, including U.S. Capitol Police, area hospitals and clinics. Officials were “not sure how long” the fox or foxes had been around the Capitol grounds or where they came from, Barber said.
One of the incidents occurred at the nearby U.S. Botanic Garden, and another took place on the House side of the Capitol, near the building foundation, according to a House alert sent by the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms.
On Tuesday, Capitol Police officials said they had received another call about a fox that approached staff near First and C streets. They said that fox “may have a den in the mulch bed area on First and C near the Dirksen building.” Officials said there was another possible fox den near the “perimeter of the Russell building.”
Foxes are considered wild animals, and officials warned that no one should approach them. They’re known to be “protective of their dens and territory.”
But that didn’t stop the online fandom: On Tuesday, like any Washington celebrity or phenomenon, the fox or foxes already had a dedicated Twitter account.
You will be hearing from me shortly! https://t.co/7VV9s91LSG
— Capitol Fox (@thecapitolfox) April 5, 2022
Justin Wm. Moyer contributed to this report.