60-pound beaver killed in attack on 42-pound child

Despite what the snickering of horny teens on the school yard might have you believe, no, you do not want to have a face-to-face encounter with a beaver.

Just ask the 5-year-old Durant boy who was bitten by one on Dec. 19. According to KOCO-TV 5's Web site, which filed the story under "Irresistible," the son of Tammy Lane attempted to pet a 60-pound beaver outside their apartment complex, but the 42-pound child's kindness was rewarded with a chomp to the calf.

"I heard screaming. I went to see what was happening. His leg was pretty bad," Lane told KOCO. Rabies tests were to be conducted on the big brown beaver, as it was the first such attack on record in the town, according to the Durant Police Department.

But, just as Durant residents argue whether their fine city is pronounced "duh-rant" or "dew-rant," Lane said police quibbled whether the animal was a beaver or a raccoon. And that leads us to the golden line of KOCO's report: "However, Lane's boyfriend took a photo of the beaver after he beat it with a crowbar."

Moral of the story: Let beaver lie. Ditto for Ms. Lane's boyfriend.

  • or