My father, like many fathers of a certain era, had several jokes he liked to tell over and over. I remember some of them fondly but am especially partial to his tale of the ‘city slicker who moved to the country’ to live a more natural life. He started off at the feed store to purchase two dozen baby chicks thinking of all those farm-fresh eggs he’d soon be enjoying.
A week after his purchase he was back again, complaining that the first batch had all died. The manager of the feedbarn was concerned and asked about the details of their care. Prompting the city slicker to observe,
“I don’t know. Maybe I’m planting them too deep?”
Cue the groaning laughter, because as we all know baby chicks shouldn’t be planted. Which you will understand right away why I thought of this joke when you read this curious beaver relocation article from New Mexico.
Beaver Reintroduced In To Rito De Los Frijoles At Bandelier National Monument
During the past week, three beavers were reintroduced in to Rito de los Frijoles at Bandelier National Monument marking the first time beaver have been above Upper Falls since the 1950’s. Beaver are a keystone species meaning that many other species and the ecosystem as a whole are reliant on their presence. Beaver raise the water table, modulate stream flow, improve water quality, and increase biodiversity. We have high hopes that our new residents will help increase water storage, control vegetation, reduce water temperatures, and improve wildlife habitat within Frijoles. Photo Courtesy NPS
Okay, so far so good right? I mean it’s a little comical to name a national park after beans, but it’s good they think highly of beavers right?
All three beaver came from the Taos area where their activity was conflicting with humans and without relocation the beaver would have been euthanized. The beaver all survived the reintroduction which is rare as the stress of relocation is commonly lethal.
Relocation is usually lethal? Now you know why I heard my dad’s joke echoing in my brain. What do you usually do to them? The entire National Park system of the United States, with all their research, vibrant staff and history, is saying that beaver relocation is usually lethal?
And they tried it anyway?
The mind reels. The jaw drops. Even when the Methow Project was reporting terrible numbers with beaver relocation the success rate was stil 50 percent! Hell, even when they tossed beavers out of the frickin’ airplane they reported only one death
Prompting the very serious question, what on EARTH does New Mexico do to its beavers?
Speaking of beaver hardiness the Sierra Wildlife Coalition recently posted this heart-melting video, which proves to me that Beavers are much cooler than anything you can imagine and work way harder than people which are lazy toads by comparison.
Don’t you just Love them? And yes that’s the first snow in the Sierras at the end of September, and since you asked neither rain or snow or dark of night shall prevent a beaver from his important work. Post office be dammed.
