Injured beaver rescued near the Sloop Tavern

An injured beaver was found and rescued from outside the Sloop Tavern (2830 NW Market St.) Sunday afternoon. My Ballard reader Zach Gaul wrote to tell us of the rescue, saying he was at the Sloop when a worker asked for some help in identifying the beaver

Gaul said it was pretty apparent the beaver had been injured or was sick, and animal control was called out to check out the critter. When Seattle Animal Control arrived, an officer pointed out that there was some blood on the animal’s hind leg and that it would be transported to PAWS where they could treat and release him.”I have never seen a beaver around the neighborhood despite living in the area for my entire life,” Gaul writes.

Lets review what we’ve learned. Seattle rescues injured beavers. While everywhere else in the entire Northern Hemisphere injures beavers on purpose and nobody rescues them. Well, except maybe Martinez – when the cameras are pointing in the right direction.

Caring whether beavers live or die is apparently a rare trait – like diabetic left-handed albino rare. Winfield Indiana, for example, mostly just cares if they die.

Beavers still a nuisance in Winfield ponds

WINFIELD | Beavers continue to create problems in town by felling trees and building extensive dam structures in retention ponds. Building activity by the large, nocturnal, semi-aquatic rodents causes potential flooding hazard, said Tim Clayton, president of the Winfield Storm Water Board.

At the Sept. 24 Storm Water Board meeting, Clayton said licensed beaver trapper Tom Larson could remove the animals at a cost of $200 per beaver.

200 per beaver for a ten month fix? Beavers must be the trappers best friend! For a family of five you could afford to put in two flow devices and never worry about this problem again. I can only assume that beavers are getting more nascent defenders in the state, because we have been reading more of these stories. I will write them about better investments and hope someone pays attention.

In the meantime we should still appreciate Washington.

These pictures out of KOMO tv in Washington are about the most adorable kit pictures I have seen. Apparently one kit was orphaned when his mother was run over by a jet ski. (Another reason to dislike them!) The organization PAWS is working hard to make sure they get the best chance of returning to the wild. Go watch the video, its OMG worthy. Our Wildlife VP has already written them for their unique lodge box design. You, who are smart beaver supporters, have of course already guessed by now which of our fifty beaver-bearing states this story is from. That’s right, beaver Mecca, Washington. (God bless Washington!)

Yesterday I found that someone had been searching the blog for beaver rehab information, and I wondered if it was them. I have been trying to make sure they have this article on the “Psychological and Environmental Enrichment for Orphaned Beavers” from Anna G. Miller of the Alabama Wildlife Center. I’ll make it a pdf and get it into a permanent link soon, but in the meantime if you know anyone who knows them, pass it along or send them our way.