Lake George Tests Dead Beaver for Rabies, Extends No-Swim Zone to July 14

Q: When will officials confirm if the Lake George beaver attack was a real rabies threat?

Officials have not given a firm date for confirming whether the Lake George beaver attack involved rabies. The answer will come when lab testing is completed on the dead beaver found Monday after the attack. For now, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation says the animal’s rabies status is unknown, which is why the swimming advisory around Turtle Island remains in effect through at least July 14, 2026. That date is the current minimum advisory period, not a promised deadline for test results. The key evidence will be the analysis of that specific beaver, not broader testing of the local beaver population. Officials have said they will not test the wider population because it is too large, but the dead animal recovered after the incident is being examined to determine whether it was rabid. Until those results are back, officials are treating the situation as a possible rabies exposure and advising people not to swim in the affected area. Anyone bitten or scratched by the beaver should contact health authorities promptly, because rabies is preventable with rapid post-exposure treatment but is almost always fatal once symptoms begin.

3 articles · Updated · WNYT NewsChannel 13 · Jul 9

A dead beaver found Monday morning near Turtle Island is being tested for rabies after a weekend attack on swimmers at Lake George.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation advised against swimming in that part of the lake until at least July 14 as a precaution, and multiple “NO SWIMMING” signs were posted on the island.
Turtle Island sits about 10 miles north of Million Dollar Beach and a five-minute boat ride from Bolton Landing; campsites remain open, though docks at sites one through five were not in use.
Officials said they will not test other beavers because the area has a large beaver population, leaving the advisory tied to the single carcass now under review.