Beavers displaced by storms

There is bad news a’plenty today for beavers. The puddles and buckets of rain that fell wreaked havoc on our flat-tailed friends. The beautiful lodge in Napa was flattened like adobe bricks under the ocean and while the well-built structure never washed away, it collapsed. Robin went out in the morning to see the damage and Rusty sent these photos yesterday. I am stung with grief over the loss. He came back in the evening and saw one beaver hanging around in confusion. I’m guessing finding family members is job one after a displacement like this. Home is, after all, wherever your peeps are.

Worse still, It turns our that the beaver killed on Mohr Lane in Concord was the second one. The first was taken to Lindsay Wildlife Hospital an hour earlier. That one had a broken jaw and severe damage also and he died from his injuries. He was a smaller beaver, probably last summer’s kit. And obviously with his parent or sibling for safety. Both were killed.

The death was written about on the the Claycord News and Talk website (the mayor is an old friend of the Martinez Beavers) and that earned a pretty interesting comments by readers.

Vehicle Hits, Kills Beaver on Mohr Lane Near Monument Blvd. in Concord

A beaver was struck and killed by a vehicle on Mohr Lane near Monument Blvd. in Concord on Tuesday night.

A ton of folks visit that sight, there have been 18 comments so far, but these two got all my attention:

Is this thing on?

I thought I saw a beaver dam on Walnut Creek between Monument and Willow Pass, upstream of the concrete drop structure. Anyone else see it from the Iron Horse this past fall? I’m guessing it’s gone with the high water.

Jojo Potato

@Is this… I guess you don’t remember this post of mine: riding along the Iron Horse trail this morning where it follows along the creek north of Monument, saw a really beautiful beaver dam across the stream. Overflow was cleverly directed around the east end and the dam solidly built with sticks and mud across the main channel. There is life in Concord! Great to see.

So there was a beaver dam and family along the Iron horse trail and we didn’t even know. Two (or maybe more) of that family were killed, and I’m sure the others are scattered and disoriented. They could easily be our offspring or descended from our offspring. I was so saddened yesterday by this news that I comforted myself by imagining starting a beaver clinic, like Mother Theresa – but for beavers. Where lots and lots of beavers would be rescued, snugly wrapped in towels and fed cottonwood or apples until they regained their strength. Maybe you want to help?