Wildlife rehab centre looking for donations for pair of Kamloops beavers

Photo: Tracy Reynolds/BC WIldlife Park

Willow

The BC Wildlife Park's rehabilitation team is looking for donations to help a pair of young beavers.

Alder and Willow were both born earlier this year and came in to the rehab centre in late spring (Alder on May 26 and Willow on June 3), says animal care manager Tracy Reynolds. They recently moved into a new space where they can learn to swim and become adult beavers.

However, it's a long process; beavers spend two years with their family group, growing up and learning skills necessary to survive. As Willow and Alder will be released back into the wild in the future, they'll need to learn those skills over the coming years at the park.

For the rehab centre, that means housing them for a long period of time. One unique issue they've faced so far is the water dish.

"I have to purchase a metal tub for them because they chewed through their plastic," Reynolds tells Castanet. "They just keep making the hole bigger."

The pair has moved on from milk substitutes, so staff also need to buy fresh produce and bark for them on a regular basis. They also need wood to chew on.

In the future, they'll be moved to a larger, outdoor pen with a pool.

"We’re renovating an old, old pen," Reynolds says. "It's been out of commission for years."

Luckily, the pair has a strong bond, she adds, which means when they are released they'll be able to go together out into the wild. Right now, staff aren't certain the sex; one, they suspect, is female. Both are the size of cats (a small cat and a large cat) but they still have plenty of growing to go; male beavers can get up to 32 kg (70 pounds).

Because the beavers are still wild and will be released, they wont be put on public display at the park. However, Reynolds is hopeful they'll be able to add a web camera on site to allow people to watch them grow up in real time.

To donate to the centre, or for more information about it, click here.