Fox high-tails it across Capitol grounds
Sen. Joni Ernst shared this video of an earlier Senate fox sighting Tuesday after Capitol Police said they nabbed an aggressive canine following a string of encounters.
It came a little too close fur comfort – allegedly biting a California congressman and about five other victims on Capitol Hill before high-tailing it around the Russell Senate Office Building.
The so-called Senate fox prompted Capitol police to warn of "aggressive fox encounters" on Tuesday afternoon, urging the public, "please do not approach any foxes."
Among the furry fiascos, the four-legged trickster hounded Rep. Ami Bera, D-California, biting the back of his leg Monday night.
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"What does the fox say? Last night, I found out," he tweeted, after telling reporters about the encounter. "Joking aside, animal bites are extremely serious. In the case of an encounter, please speak with a physician immediately."
Bera, a doctor, shared a link to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s information on rabies and added that he was OK and had already returned to work.
DC Animal Control "captured" a rogue fox hounding lawmakers and other visitors to Capitol Hill this week. (US Capitol Police)
Bera’s communications director Travis Horne called it "an unfortunate encounter" but said it was "inconclusive" as to whether the fox’s fangs actually pierced the congressman’s skin.
"Out of an abundance of caution and per the Attending Physicians recommendation, Rep. Bera went to Walter Reed Hospital last night and received his appropriate shots," he said. "Rep. Bera feels well and is at work today.
Bera told reporters he fought the animal off with an umbrella, according to Heather Caygle from Punchbowl News.
DC Animal Control "captured" a rogue fox hounding lawmakers and other visitors to Capitol Hill this week. (US Capitol Police)
"Capitol police came out and then fox ran away," he said. "It was the most bizarre day in Congress."
The fox also allegedly bit Politico reporter Ximena Bustillo.
"That feel when you get bit by a fox leaving Capitol cause that’s of course something I expect in THE MIDDLE OF DC," she tweeted.
By around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, police said they’d outfoxed the furry fugitive, tweeting out pictures of their captive in a blue carry crate.
A Capitol police spokesperson told Fox News Digital that in all, "roughly six people reported bites or nips," but an exact number of attacks was not immediately available.
"It is not clear if there was just one aggressive fox," the spokesperson said, urging anyone else who encounters one to call DC Animal Control.
According to the House Sergeant at Arms, there may be "several fox dens" around the Capitol, but police said the reports of aggressive behavior were new.
Sen. Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican, shared video of a fox running across a Capitol lawn she told Fox News’ Chad Pergram she recorded while on a jog last month.
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"Little fox, running through the park, I hope he doesn’t get hit," she says from behind the camera. "I wonder where he's headed. He's lost."
In the U.S., rabies is most often found in wild bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes, according to the CDC.
Fox News’ Hillary Vaughn and Matteo Cina contributed to this report.
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