I volunteer for a wildlife rehabilitation center. They called me yesterday to locate and capturea "beaver with rabies." At least that's what the person who phoned in said. I have my rabies shots, no problem. But how does one capture a beaver? Fortunately, for me and the critter, the beaver in question had vanished. Most likely it had been sunning on the road. And even more likely, no rabies. Here is a little beaver info: they are the largest rodent in North America. The only larger rodent is the capybara, native of South America. One native American word for them translates to "affable." Beavers can weigh up to 5o pounds. And a little more than 13,000 years ago, beavers were the size of black bears! While I cannot say that I have ferried about a beaver, my car has been transport to baby skunks, porcupines, pigeons, bats, raccoons, crows, sea gulls, a parasitic Jaeger, great horned owl baby, red tailed hawk and cormorants. Most well-behaved passenger? The porcupine!
Being an Oregonian, I love the beaver--they're such amazingly beautiful animals. Not just their soft fur, but their wonderful disposition and sweet faces. I have a hard time with people who disturb their habitat. Just recently I heard they were going to get rid of a Beaver making his dam over by the city of Tualatin. The thing is, that Beaver dam has been there for years and years. As far as I'm concerned--he's got first dibs!!!
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