Because the beaver isn't just an animal; it's an ecosystem!

THE CUTEST THING AND THE BRAVEST THING


Get ready for an entire mountain of cute. Scratch that, an entire MOUNTAIN RANGE of cute. I have never seen wet kits before, so these little fellows have a lot to learn. Good thing they’re at Cornell.

Orphaned baby beavers crisscross New York state for treatment at Cornell

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Well? Well? Am I right? Are those the cutest dam things you ever saw in your adult life? Don’t bother looking for pictures of your children. I can tell you right now. 

It is.

After their parents were trapped and killed at Lake George in the Adirondacks, these beavers were rescued and sent to licensed wildlife rehabilitators in Western New York. “They’re often seen as a pest, because they do change the landscape when they make their dams and alter water pathways,” said Sara Childs-Sanford, D.V.M. ’99, section chief of the Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital.

Their troubles didn’t end there, however. The kits, approximately three weeks old at the time, developed severe diarrhea and their health was declining, so they were transferred to Cornell for further care.

I can’t imagine what it’s like to be a veternary student with that little tailed patient staring you in the face every day.

Childs-Sanford and her team ran tests to determine the cause of their diarrhea and found they were suffering from bacterial enteritis due to Escherichia coli (E. coli). Unfortunately, two of the five kits died, but the three remaining beavers responded well to treatment. “We’re keeping them well hydrated and giving them lots of food and heat support, and they all are improving at this point,” Childs-Sanford said.

Two of the little peanuts died! I’m so glad the other three have each other to be with. Beavers are social animals.

Beaver kits require attentive care at this age. Swimming is key to their health, for example. It is when they do most of their hydration, defecation and urination. This litter enjoyed swim time three or four times a day in a constantly refreshing tub at the wildlife hospital. Childs-Sanford said the prognosis for this group of travelers is good.

After concluding treatment, the three healthy beavers, at approximately five weeks old, made the trip back to Western New York this month for rehabilitation and eventual release.

Yeah I wondered about the idea of them staying at Cornell for any length of time.  It’s back to rehabber for the next two years.

I liked this. While you have their attention do some good!

Beavers are the largest rodent in North America, and have a transformative impact on their surrounding environment. Their dams alter waterways to slow-moving ponds that support a diverse wetland biological community. “There are places in the United States where groups are considering reintroducing beavers as one way to bring water back to areas that are in drought and to research how they affect the landscape in this way,” said Childs-Sanford.

It’s too bad they don’t give the name of the rehab where they are returning too, because I’m sure taking care of three kits for two years takes a lot of donations!

For the kits at Cornell, this means they cannot safely be released by their rehabilitators for at least another year and a half. “They have quite a long road of rehab ahead of them,” Childs-Sanford said.

Alright. You’ve seen the cutest dam thing ever. Get ready for the bravest fucking thing. This actually happened two Fridays ago. They told the Mr. Keene he needed to do a mic check rehearsal and he was such a narcissist that he never noticed the school wasn’t real, the award wasn’t real and the graduation never happened.

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