A vixen captured after biting multiple people on Capitol Hill has been killed.
“The fox responsible for 9 confirmed bites on Capitol Hill yesterday has been captured and humanely euthanized so that rabies testing can be performed,” the DC Department of Health said in a statement sent to HuffPost.
Animal control officers nabbed the fox on Tuesday after multiple reports of bites, including an “unprovoked” one on Rep. Ami Bera (D-California).
Foxes are known carriers of rabies, and DC law states that wild animals that cause potential rabies exposure in a person or other animal must be killed to be tested for the deadly virus. Because a rabies test involves brain tissue, it cannot be performed on a live animal.
The fox’s kits have also been found and captured. “Officials are working to determine next steps for fox kits,” the statement read.