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A red fox that was captured Tuesday and responsible for biting at least one journalist and a lawmaker has been euthanized, according to health officials in Washington, D.C.

In an email to NPR, the district’s Department of Health said Wednesday that there were nine confirmed bites by the adult female fox on Capitol Hill and that it had been "humanely euthanized" to ensure rabies testing could be done.

The district’s Public Health lab said Wednesday that the fox tested positive for the rabies virus. 

The fox was captured Tuesday afternoon, according to a tweet from the police.

There were many sightings of the fox Monday night, and "then word came in of roughly six bites and/or nips," a Capitol Police spokesperson told NPR over email Tuesday.

The fox was spotted around the Dirksen Senate Office Building and the Russell Senate Office Building, as well as on the House side of the U.S. Capitol, the police spokesperson told NPR.

"[We] just learned people have seen foxes before, but this recent aggressive behavior is unusual," the spokesperson added.

The following message was sent to House members and staff by the Office of the Sergeant at Arms on Tuesday regarding the fox:

Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif., was reportedly bitten by the fox Monday night, according to 

. Politico reporter Ximena Bustillo said it bit her Tuesday afternoon.  

Fernando Alfonso III

Author

Jonathan Franklin

The U.S. Capitol Police says animal control has captured the fox responsible for biting at least one lawmaker and a journalist.

The fox responsible for biting people at the U.S. Capitol tests positive for rabies

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