Sacramento Congressman Ami Bera bitten by fox on US Capitol grounds
Democratic Rep. Ami Bera is used to dealing with Republicans, constituents, and lobbyists.
On Monday, he ran into a trickier problem at the U.S. Capitol. The Sacramento congressman was bitten by a fox that’s been stalking the Capitol grounds.
“What does the fox say? Last night, I found out,” he tweeted.
Bera, who is a physician, “did have an unfortunate encounter with a Capitol Hill fox yesterday,” spokesman Travis Horne said.
As he walked to the office, Bera was nipped on the leg. He went to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in a nearby suburb, where he got five shots of immunoglobulin, one tetanus shot, and one rabies shot. Bera will receive three additional rabies shots in the coming days.
Bera told reporters that after he felt something tugging at him, he used an umbrella to repel whatever it was, and Capitol police quickly were at the site, the Associated Press reported.
Tuesday, Bera was back at work and feeling well, Horne said.
The fox caused a commotion, as people were reluctant to step outside on the gray, 60-degree day. House of Representatives officials reported at least three people said they were bitten or attacked.
The House Sergeant at Arms issued a statement saying it “received reports of individuals being attacked or bitten by a fox.”
One incident was at the Botanic Garden adjacent to the Capitol and a second was on the House side.
“There are possibly several fox dens on Capitol Grounds. Animal Control is currently on the grounds seeking to trap and relocate any foxes they find,” it said.
Later Tuesday, officials said they had captured a fox. Whether there are more at large is unknown.
Bera was lighthearted about it later, telling Punchbowl News, “I expect to get attacked if I go on Fox News. I don’t expect to get attacked by a fox.”
This story was originally published April 6, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
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