WASHINGTON — A fox was captured on Capitol grounds Tuesday after police received reports of people being attacked or bitten a day earlier.
According to a House alert, the fox attacked someone at the Botanic Garden and a second person was attacked on the House side of the Capitol near the building foundation Monday.
A message was sent to House members and staff by the Office of the Sergeant at Arms warning that there may have been several fox dens on the Capitol grounds. Animal Control officers were called to the Capitol to trap and relocate any foxes found on the grounds.
In a tweet Tuesday, U.S. Capitol Police shared pictures of the fox with the caption "captured."
One of the people who reported being attacked was Rep. Ami Bera (D- CA).
Bera joked about the attack tweeting, "what does the fox say? Last night, I found out..." He then urged anyone who is bitten by an animal to contact a physician immediately.
"[I'm] Happy to report that I am healthy and back at work serving the people of #CA07," Bera tweeted.
Foxes are among many animals that can carry rabies, a virus that infects the central nervous system and can be transmitted to humans when bitten or scratched by a rabid animal. If a person does not receive the proper medical care after rabies exposure, the virus can become deadly.
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These reports come a year after WUSA9 reported in May 2020 that foxes were stealing people's shoes to use as toys.