WASHINGTON – It’s fuzzy, red and small — but Capitol Hill’s newest resident might be dangerous.
A fox has been spotted in the Capitol Hill area the past couple of weeks, and it has pranced its way across social media, too, as many have captured the animal in action.
People on Capitol Hill react to their newest neighbor, a fox
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Kristi King, WTOP
Look closely at the bottom of this image. A fox hunts a squirrel at the Capitol pic.twitter.com/M0fTJ5I0Lv
— Brian Bennett (@ByBrianBennett) January 14, 2014
Fox in the henhouse! Watched a fox mark its territory tonight-around the Capitol! pic.twitter.com/BiVNaYWaZw
— Brian Bennett (@ByBrianBennett) January 14, 2014
However, Oregon Congressman Kurt Schrader, who is a veterinarian, told The Washington Post that people shouldn’t get too close to it.
“I’d advise my colleagues and visitors to the Capitol grounds to avoid going near or touching the fox if they spot it, as it could have rabies,” Schrader told the Post.
Jokingly, Schrader added that perhaps the fox may be to blame for some of the weirder actions among the members of Congress.
“On second thought, it’s possible that it may have bitten some of my colleagues. That explains a lot,” he said to the Post.
While it is not clear if the fox does, in fact, have rabies, all warm-blooded animals can be affected by the virus, according the D.C. Department of Health.
The DOH says the symptoms of a rabid animal include:
- Be unnaturally withdrawn
- Be unusually friendly or calm
- Be very docile
- Snap at anything in its path
- Appear in the daytime (if it’s nocturnal)
- Search for an isolated place to die
The fox also has been seen by the Architect of the Capitol’s staff.
“AOC staff has spotted the fox around the Capitol over the past year, but its visibility has increased this winter. The Capitol
