Fellow Mortals--Compassion Changes Everything

Fellow Mortals is one of just a few places in the country that works with orphaned beaver, since they require as long as 3 years to mature before being able to survive in the wild – when they are finally strong enough and big enough to take down trees to build a lodge, or make a dam, or store enough food to survive for months under the ice. Beaver do not hibernate, so without a food cache they will not survive the northern winter.

We estimate an average cost of $10,000 per rehabilitated beaver, primarily related to the cost of the produce they consume in amazing quantities as they grow to 50 or more pounds. Along with ‘consumables,’ rehabilitating beaver over long periods requires very specialized habitats equipped with inground heated pools deep enough for diving, haul out areas for practicing lodge construction, concrete walls that can withstand chewing, and stainless-steel gates that allow excursions out of the habitats for enrichment and exercise. Willow and apple or other soft woods are also provided when available, as beavers love to gnaw and eat the soft outer bark called cambium.

This summer we released two beaver admitted in 2022 as days-old orphans from rehabilitators in Wisconsin and Minnesota and which spent their time together while in our care. Beaver releases are arguably the most stressful for our rehabilitators as we obviously know the individuals very well and are extremely invested in their having the best chance of survival after release. While natural hazards are a fact of life for all wildlife released back to the wild, beaver also face extraordinary pressure from trapping, which is at present unregulated in the state.

Thanks to people from state environmental groups, the beaver just released have found a protected property, surrounded by more protected property, to start life back in the wild,and we've even received some pictures to show their progress in starting a 'baby' dam.

Some may question whether hand-raised beaver have the skills to build a lodge, store food, and know how to interact with other beaver. To that question we can answering with a resounding ‘Yes!’ because we were able to follow a hand-raised female and her partner for over 5 years after release.

Even as one habitat empties, another is already occupied with a small busy beaver orphaned this summer who, at just 5 pounds, is far from gnawing on branches and still at the stage of carrying willow fronds to and from a shallow pool. We are hopeful that a companion will join her later this summer so that the two can grow up together as the last released beaver did.

Suitable beaver release sites: have ponds 10 feet or deeper, or are on a river; have abundant natural vegetation, including soft woods like willow, ash, poplar, and apple, which the property owners understand will be taken down by the beaver for food and construction; do not already have beaver present on the property; are protected from trapping or killing of beaver; are surrounded by sufficient wild space that is also protected from trapping or killing; and are a minimum of 50 acres in size. Property owners must be willing to provide a release shelter for animals to use until they construct a lodge, and live on or close to the property so that they can monitor the beavers for the first few months.

If you are interested in helping with supporting beaver rehabilitation or think you might have a suitable release spot--even if you're not in Wisconsin, please e-mail wildrehab@fellowmortals.org.

And as always, thank you to those of you who make beaver -- and other rehabiltation possible.

Links:

• Beaver release article