“Miracle Beaver” First British Beaver In 500 Years
He is the one the legends spoke of.
In case you aren’t up on your beaver stats, the buck-toothed busybodies have been extinct in their native England for the past 500 years. (And yes, we do mean the animal, that isn’t British slang.) But now, in a miraculous turn of events, a beaver has returned once more to the rivers of England.
Although the beaver was first spotted last July in The River Ottery running through the town of Ottery St Mary, there hadn’t been any evidence since to confirm that Britain’s prayers were finally answered..
Thankfully, retired environmental scientist Tom Buckley was fairly certain that the creature was busily making itself at home in the waters of the small town, and took matters into his own hands to prove it.
Buckley set up a motion-sensitive camera to track the beaver’s overnight bustling, and thankfully the beavercam didn’t disappoint.
Can you spot the beaver?
There it is!
The beast lurks.
Buckley says he was motivated to catch photographic evidence of Beaver Zero after noticing tell-tail evidence of its activity on the river’s banks.
I first noticed a tree that had been damaged because I walk around that area every day-then I saw a few trees that had been nibbled.
For me it posed the question: could it have been a beaver, or was it some kids messing about?
Tip: Usually children do not gnaw on trees until they topple to the ground.
Most of the sightings, if not all, have been when it comes out of the water and onto the land. The question now is if it’s just one, or is it a pair.It may be one that’s just passing through from somewhere else-it might be an escapee, but nobody seems to be saying they’ve lost a beaver.
This wouldn’t be the first time an AWOL beaver was confused for the bonafide article. Conservationists have been rearing Norwegian Beavers to replace the British ones that died out from over-hunting in the 16th century. But local farmer David Lawrence thinks Mary St. Otters’ beaver is the genuine article, saying “It’s early days yet but, as long as lots of people don’t go there and frighten the beaver away, he should be happy enough.”
You heard the man, people. Do not go to Mary St. Otter and frighten their miracle beaver away. Let his work his magic in his own dam time.
(via io9,images via Property #1)
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