Capitol Police tweeted a photo of the culprit in a cage.
The return of tourists to Capitol Hill, and their discarded food and garbage, should have been a “snitch” sign.
Following several “aggressive” incidents, Capitol Police warned the public Tuesday not to approach any foxes reportedly causing alarms in the Capitol complex.
“We have received multiple reports of aggressive fox encounters on or near the grounds of the United States Capitol,” Capitol Police said. tweeted at 12:50 on Tuesday. “For your safety, please do not approach any foxes. Animal control officers are working to trap and relocate any foxes they find.”
A Capitol Police spokesman told ABC News that a fox “bitten or nibbled” at least six people, including a lawmaker.
The House Sergeant-at-Arms office had also warned lawmakers in a memo about the fox biting people, saying, “There are possibly multiple fox dens on the Capitol Grounds.”
Representative Ami Bera, D-Calif., revealed on Twitter that he was the lawmaker who had been bitten by the fox.
In particular, foxes are susceptible to rabies and can transmit the disease to humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — a fact that Bera knows very well now.
The congressman’s office confirmed in a statement to ABC News that he was “bitten on the leg” and admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he was shot multiple times.
Bera, who is a doctor, tweeted a light-hearted warning about its danger.
Images of the cute, but potentially dangerous, creature first surfaced on social media on Monday. The fox was seen scavenging nearby streets Tuesday afternoon, even though the area was bustling with tourists now that the Capitol complex reopened to the public last month after being closed for two years due to the pandemic.
After workers spent hours trying to find the animal in question, Capitol Police tweeted a photo at 3:36 p.m. Tuesday of the culprit in a cage with the line “Captured.”
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, told reporters she had a close encounter with the fox Monday night, showing video she took of the animal, usually at night.
Some on the internet were quick to call for the fox, which was captured with the help of the Humane Rescue Alliance, to be released. A social network bill dressing up as the “Capitol Fox” also appeared on Twitter Tuesday, even issuing a statement about what the fox called his “illegal arrest.”
“Like a fox, I can’t speak. And too often, I have no one to speak for me. They make fun of me with songs, use me as clothes, and chase me like a criminal in my house. What for? I ask you ?” the statement said.
ABC News has inquired about the fox’s fate, but no word yet.
Trish Turner of ABC News contributed to this report.
Reference-abcnews.go.com