Health authorities in Washington D.C. have "humanely euthanized" a rabid fox that attacked pedestrians including a congressman near the Capitol, according to Agence France Presse (AFP).
The red fox was captured in the green space surrounding the Capitol Hill after biting nine people.
Local health authorities stated that the adult female fox has been "humanely euthanized" to test for rabies. A few hours later, the authorities "confirmed the fox tested positive for the rabies virus,” noting that “DC Health is contacting all human victims who were bitten by the fox.”
The red animal sparked a wave of satirical comments and posts on social media.
Following the news announcing its death, twitter user ‘CapitolFox’ jokingly tweeted: “Gone but not forgotten.”