I thought today we’d ease back into beaver media by following some amusing stories that appeared over the past few days. Here’s one of my favorite headlines ever. EVER.

Wife swap beavers shatter illusions

The News.Scotsman

IT WOULD make for a particularly wild episode of Wife Swap. Two sets of beavers involved in the Scottish Beaver Trial have swapped partners – challenging the long-held belief that the animals mate for life.

The couples, named Elaine and Eoghann and Trude and Christian, were originally paired in captivity and are thought to have swapped partners last autumn. Their bed-hopping antics are believed to be the first time such activity amongst beavers has been officially recorded.

Are you really surprised that beavers would rather chose their own mate than allow some burly bavarian biologist to do it for them? Remember this is the beaver you share everything with, the beaver you work with, sleep with, chew with, raise kits with. You better dam well get along if you’re going to be stuck with them. Dorothy Richards (Beaver Sprite) saw her own beavers ignore her mate selections and pick their own partners. It’s not earth shattering to think that beavers know their own minds better than researchers do.

And (Eds note) what makes you think this wasn’t “Husband Swapping” anyway?

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Here’s a very clever new political ad from the Quebec Soledaire (the Independence Party). Watch all the way until the end. Even if you don’t speak fluent French, you should be able to follow the funny plotline.

“There are rumours that members of Quebec solidaire drape themselves in the Maple Leaf and hold questionable ties to beavers,” says the ad’s narrator.  “In fact, that’s not quite the case…The Quebec solidaire program is very clear on the fact that it’s independentist.”

CP notes that the ad ends with a joke: “Quebec solidaire says no beavers were harmed in the making of their new spot.”

And finally, I can’t overlook this very surprising research into the castor bean as contraceptive! Nothing to do with beavers (but a naming accident) but apparently they’re saying it actually works! In the US we say there poisonous and lead a big ad campaign against planting then in the 50’s. Hmm….

Researchers validate castor bean as oral contraceptive

The use of castor bean seeds for contraception is a widespread practice among the Rukuba tribe in Bassa local council of Plateau State. It is believed that two to three seeds protected against conception for a whole year. However, local and international researchers have validated the efficacy and safety of this practice.