Leave it to beaver to make a fun family day of tubing down the Cowichan River on Aug. 14 even more exciting.
As Connor Belanger, 16, of Victoria was making his way down the river, he heard some soft squeaks coming from something struggling in the water that then tried to get onto his tube. It was a little baby beaver.
Connor's mother Liz said she first heard the kit crying but was unsure what it was and didn't see anything, then her son noticed the little beaver kit struggling in the rapids and he reached out and it clambered up and cuddled right into his arms.
"Connor floated the rest of the way down to Little Beach [a popular tubing pullout spot] while keeping it warm in his arms and then wrapped the kit in his towel, while shivering himself; it was so sweet," said Liz. "We were camping in Chemainus and had to drive down to pick up our youngest son from hockey camp at Shawnigan, then I dropped them all off at the campsite and drove with the little one snuggled up. It was so sad to hand over that adorable little beaver who was so sweet, and snuggly. Connor felt instantly protective of her and wouldn't let anyone else hold her for the first hour or so.
"I just felt like I needed to protect it," said Connor.
They took the kit to the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre in Errington. Staff there estimated the baby beaver to be just one week old.
"At the time, she was extremely young and vulnerable, far too small to be on her own. She was cold, weak, and in urgent need of care," said animal care technician Joanna Smith. She said the beaver should have still been in the dam with its mother.
'Dam' lucky. According to Smith the beaver would have never made it on her own had it not been for this well timed tubing adventure and Connor's caring arms. Smith believes the baby beaver was washed out of its nest.
"She was far too young to be alone in a river environment," said Smith, who thinks low water levels on the Cowichan River due to drought may have exposed the exits to the beavers' dam, and the baby slipped through. "We’re incredibly grateful to the Belanger family for finding her and acting so quickly. Their quick thinking saved her life."
The little beaver has been named Timber, and is already well on her way to recovery.
"She’s doing wonderfully," said Smith. "Timber is growing stronger every day, her appetite has improved, and she’s eating more consistently. We’re also starting to see her curiosity and motor skills develop, which are great signs of a healthy recovery."
Timber will remain at North Island Wildlife Recovery until she’s old enough and fully capable of surviving in the wild on her own.
"Her rehabilitation process is extensive, similar to that of the orphaned bear cubs we rehabilitate, and she’ll likely be with us for over a year," said Smith. "While we can’t give an exact release date, we will assess her readiness based on developmental milestones and her ability to thrive independently."
Once she’s ready, she will be released on the Cowichan River near the area where she was originally found, but until then the animal care team at NIWRA is more than happy to give Timber TLC.
"We never rush the rehabilitation process, our goal is to ensure every animal is fully prepared for life in the wild before being released," said Smith. "Some animals require more time than others, and we’re committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment until they’re ready.
"While we’re no strangers to rescues like this, each one is just as meaningful and heartwarming as the last, both for us and for those who find them. We’re incredibly grateful to the public, our dedicated volunteers, and the organizations we collaborate with who help ensure animals like Timber get into care quickly and with as little stress as possible.
"It truly takes a community to protect our wildlife, and we’re proud to be part of such a compassionate and caring one."
