Last month, the staff at Loudoun County Animal Services in Virginia discovered a young beaver in an open field, far from her natural habitat. When they approached the beaver, they noticed that she was sluggish and unable to run away — a behavior that was uncharacteristic of the wild animal and instantly worrying.
The lethargic beaver allowed the animal control officers to scoop her up, and they soon drove her to Kristi’s Caring Hands Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education (KCHWRE). When the KCHWRE checked her over, they realized that she was too sick for their care, so they quickly transferred her to Blue Ridge Wildlife Center (BRWC) for immediate treatment.
At BRWC, a team of dedicated staff members gave her a thorough medical exam and discovered that the poor girl was probably suffering from pneumonia and internal injuries.
“On admission, our veterinary team noted that she was weak with labored breathing,” BRWC wrote on Facebook. “[X-rays] indicate pneumonia or fluid from near-drowning as well as trauma on the left side.”
The team was heartbroken to discover the extent of the beaver’s injuries, but they were determined to help her recover.
“We’re providing supportive care and monitoring her closely, doing everything we can do to give her a second chance,” BRWC wrote.
The beaver’s condition was serious, but she luckily had a team of caregivers fighting for her survival. And, although she didn’t have the words to express her gratitude for their help, the look on her face when she was finally in BRWC’s care said it all.
“She looks like she’s smiling,” Erin Hurst Edwards Anastasiou commented on Facebook. “She’s grateful to have been rescued.”
By the following week, the beaver’s condition improved drastically. As she began responding to treatment and feeling more herself each day, the team started to get a better understanding of what might have happened to her in the first place.
“We suspect this youngster (likely last year’s baby) was flooded out of their dam, or may have even experienced a dam collapse, considering the injuries and being found wandering in the middle of an open field,” BRWC wrote on Facebook. “[T]his is a great improvement in appetite and demeanor!”
You can watch the beaver enjoy a meal in her enclosure here:
With BRWC’s continued care, the beaver only continued to improve until, finally, her prognosis was no longer severe. Thankfully, her pneumonia cleared, and her injuries healed within a month, just like her caregivers hoped. All that was left to do was to prepare her for her eventual release. That’s when Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke (SWVWCR) stepped in.
“Although [her] issues have since resolved, it has been a challenge to keep weight on this patient, and beavers this age really need to be with conspecifics in enclosures made for the species,” BRWC wrote on Facebook. “As we do not treat many beavers each year, we do not have dedicated beaver caging, and transferring this patient was the best option.”
