Fellow Mortals--Compassion Changes Everything

On November 4, we received a call from a police department in western Wisconsin about a young beaver that had been wandering in the neighborhood and was now walking in the road.  They wanted to know what to do.

Beaver live in family units by water.  Their lodges may be built of sticks or in a muddy bank, but they are never built far from water  Very family-oriented animals, beaver mate for life and the young of the pair stay with the family until they are at least two years old. The babies, called kits, are vulnerable to chilling and drowning for the first few weeks of their life and are never unattended by a parent or older sibling, who serve as 'babysitters' for the younger beaver in a family group.

When babies come to us, we know we are making a minimum of a two-year commitment before they can be reintroduced to the wild.  We are currently introducing a female to a year-old male who both came to us as orphans, after their families were trapped and killed.

We could tell from the pictures the police sent to us that the little beaver was very young--far too young to be on its own.

Something was very wrong.

Beaver are not aggressive animals.  They have to cooperate in order to cut and place the trees that build their lodge, and to pack the mud that keeps it in place, and to store the food they will share all the winter.  Beaver do not hibernate and so over the long, dark, cold, winter months under the ice, they will groom each other and sleep together and be very companionable in all ways. 

We instructed the police how to contain the beaver so that he would not suffer more injury, and one of our most trusted volunteers made the long drive to pick the baby up from the police and bring him back to Fellow Mortals.

When I first looked into the carrier, the little beaver was cowering in a corner, his eyes wide with fright and trepidation.  The only reason possible for this little animal to be wandering in town, far away from water, is that his family had been taken from him by trapping.

Beaver are not sexually mature until 3 years of age.  The most dangerous time of their life is when they must leave the home lodge to find a territory of their own, and they will be at least 2 years old before that happens.

My heart just went out to the lonely little beaver who had lost everything so early in his life.

After a three hour ride with our volunteer, the baby arrived and, as gently and quickly as possible, we did an examination and found a laceration at the base of his tail and an injury on the back.  He was also limping due to an injury of one foot, and was thin and dehydrated.  Weighing only 6 pounds, we confirmed what we had suspected--this was this year's baby.  We were able to x-ray to make sure there were no broken bones, and then we got him settled in a pool habitat with some fresh willow and stuffed animals for company.  

He immediately went to the pool and started drinking.  He was so thirsty that he continued to drink for several minutes.

It's been a month since the baby beaver came to us after losing his parents, and all of his siblings.  We bring him blankets scented by the older beaver in our care in an attempt to let him know that he is not alone.  He is still eating only the bark and cambium of willow branches we provide daily.  Tempting him with apples, and yams, berries, and greens, and seasonal produce--every day we hope to wake him and find that he has sampled some of the other foods that he needs to grow, and grow strong.  That will be a very happy day.

Fellow Mortals is the only wildlife hospital in many states to be capable of providing for beaver from newborn to release.  We now have three beaver in care, along with 200 other wild ones who are healing with us this winter--each with his or her own special story and needs.  Thankfully, each one has eventually understand that they are safe and  we are trying to help.  From then on, they can heal.  It is only because of your support that this is so.

Thank you for the gifts that you give that make it possible for us to be here to help this little lost beaver, and all the other wild ones found injured and alone who are given the chance to rest and heal.

Links:

• Story of Beaver Rescue

When a baby bird comes into care, it's never simple.  If the songbird is a healthy nestling and has been blown from the nest by wind, we provide information and instruction to the finder to warm the bird and then replace it in the nest and watch for the parent to return to feed.  If the bird is fledgling, most often the caller describes a healthy young bird that simply doesn't have the strength or feather development to do more than hop, and we explain that it will be a few days while it grows and gains the strength to start taking short flights.

If we determine that a baby bird needs help, it's because it is injured in some way, or its condition tells us that something has happened to the parents, leaving it an orphan.

Most of the baby birds that come to us are orphaned, but not badly injured.  Of the more than 100 American robins we admitted this year, about 10 percent had fractures, including a young nestling that was injured during a storm and ended up with a fractured leg (the femur).

We are fortunate to work with a skilled orthopedic veterinary surgeon who routinely puts metal pins into the bones of hawks and owls, fawns and geese, even baby bunnies--but had never pinned the tiny bones of a songbird weighing only an ounce, until one day when a baby came in while he was doing another surgery.

Dr. Scot is an artist.  He makes anesthesia and cutting, placing pins and suturing look like everyday tasks, and to him they are!

The little robin went through the surgery beautifully, but when the anesthesia was turned off--he didn't breathe on his own--and everyone watching held their breath--except for Dr. Scot, who literally gave his breath of life to help the robin breathe on his own again.

Four weeks later, the pin has been out a week and the robin is using the leg--perching and flying and picking through insects and fruit along with the rest of the robins who grew up with him.

It isn't often such a small bird, considered a common species in North America, receives the kind of care provided to the most expensive domestic animal -- but it does happen, and it's just another example of the wonderful compassion shown to the wild ones by the people who support Fellow Mortals' work.

While Dr. Scot and others volunteer their time -- it's your donations that provide the specialized diets and care that completes the rehabiltiation story, and results in release for birds like this robin, and so many, many more wild ones.