If ever there were a video I wanted to embed on this site! I wish I could post this one because the story is so scary you were going to worry when I tell you and I want to let you know all’s well that ends well. Be like my friends daughter watching the scary disney movie and just whispering over and over to herself, “Dalmatians get home safe. Dalmatians get home safe!”. It really does help. Try it the next time you’re feeling worried.

Volunteers rescue beaver in downtown Putney

PUTNEY — It takes a village to rescue a beaver.

A group of Putney volunteers mobilized this week to rescue the errant beaver, which had slipped down into a pool below the Sackett’s Brook Dam, in back of the Putney General Store, and was unable to get out.

But Thursday morning, thanks to the practical know-how and experience of Westminster stone mason Paul Bemis, the beaver was back doing what beavers do in a matter of minutes: paddling upstream to its home in the Wilson Wetland Preserve, which is located between downtown Putney and Sand Hill Road.

Now beavers can get themselves out of a lot of difficult water conditions, but they do fall off water falls. Thank goodness these scrappy volunteers were on hand to figure out how to help.

“It was ‘Save The Beaver Day,’” Bemis said Thursday afternoon, chuckling.Bemis said he learned of the beaver’s plight from social media Wednesday night, and dialogued with Cynthia Major, who along with others had tried unsuccessfully to rescue the beaver in the past few days.

Bemis said he had rescued a group of ducklings from the same predicament — in the same location — about six years ago, so he knew what he wanted to do.

He put two long planks together and nailed some kindling to it crosswise, to give the beaver something to grab onto besides the smooth plank.

Smart beaver! He wisely said I’m not walking into your clammy cage BUT I will use the ramp, thank you. Go watch the video and see him amble down that little balance beam. Thank goodness he doesn’t have the same head for heights that I do!

Thanks Vermont!

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