I heard a story from my paddling buddies of a rabid beaver once attacking kayaks and canoes. It is pretty rare for beavers to get it.
There was one in FL: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5122a3.htm
Those guys can get pretty big on their own without mutations, and the tail-slaps are intimidating. I'd try to make friends with the giant beavers.
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