Capitol Police announced on Tuesday that they had captured a wild red fox after it reportedly bit a California Democrat congressman and five other victims at U.S. Capitol and was later euthanized.
“We have received several reports of aggressive fox encounters on or near the grounds of the U.S. Capitol,” Capitol police tweeted.
“For your safety, please do not approach any foxes. Animal Control Officers are working to trap and relocate any foxes they find,” the agency added.
Three hours later, Capitol Police reported that have captured the fox. It is still unclear if there’s only one fox causing the panic.
California Democrat Rep. Ami Bera claimed that he was the victim of an “unprovoked” attack by the fox outside the Senate on Monday night, according to Punchbowl News.
“I didn’t see it and all of a sudden I felt something lunge at the back of my leg,” Bera said, adding “I jumped and got my umbrella.”
Bera made a joke about the incident on Tuesday, saying “What does the fox say? Last night, I found out…”And then warned his followers about animal bites and should seek a physician immediately in the case of an encounter.
According to the new report, the aggressive fox was euthanized and officials are working to determine the next steps for the fox kits.
According to Critter Control, foxes are not dangerous and do not harm people unless threatened or if a mother is protecting her kits. One user said, “Foxes will never willingly interact with humans under normal circumstances.”