A Peterborough Family Saved A Baby Beaver In The Kawarthas & We're Not Crying, You're Crying
/It’s not often that you get to rescue one of Canada’s national wildlife treasures but on Sunday (June 7th), that’s exactly what Stony Lake island cottager Tracy Turner and her family did—saving a baby beaver (aka “beaver kit”) that was in despair.
Photo by Tracy Turner of baby beaver she rescued
“It was so sweet and happy to see me,” Turner, who resides in Peterborough, writes in a Facebook post that has garnered grateful comments from across Canada.
“It was stuck in a pool of water between two rocks at the side of the island. For the past two or three days I kept hearing what sounded like a cat meow. Today, I went and checked it out. I dislodged a stick that was blocking his way out and he went right into my hands and onto my paddle board. Just dropped it off to the Kawartha Wildlife Centre. They think he/she is around 2 or 3 weeks old and left the den when its parents didn’t come for him. ❤️ We miss our little friend already.”
Photo by Tracy Turner of baby beaver she rescued
“Just reading some of the comments on Facebook, I’m so overwhelmed by the positive response and how happy this has made people,” Turner tells PTBOCanada, elaborating on how the rescue went down to us:
”When I heard the cries while out on my paddle board, I cautiously moved closer to the rock face of our island. I looked around, trying to find the source of the cry but also not wanting to disrupt a nest or something like that. Then I noticed a rock that sat away from the shore a bit and very slowly peered into the pool of water behind it. I saw this furry little head and he seemed so happy to see me, scrambling and crying and trying to get to me.
A branch had fallen and was lodged where he was trying to get out. As soon as I moved it, he climbed out of there so fast! I had long gardening gloves on that my stepdaughter Molly brought me because I didn’t want to get bit but he was just so small he wanted to be cared for. I picked him up with my paddle and he sat on my board with me, letting me put my hands around him. Molly bravely got in the cold lake water and pushed us to the dock where Matt, my husband, had a towel waiting. He was happy to be snuggled up.”
What the baby beaver was transported in during the ride to Kawartha Wildlife Centre (photo by Tracy Turner)
Turner says that Kawartha Wildlife Centre team in Ennismore was simply amazing to deal with.
“Matt emailed the Kawartha Wildlife Centre in Ennismore. They responded almost immediately and I was overjoyed that they would take him. I was worried about having to keep the baby overnight with us as we were all worried that he had been without food for at least a few days that we knew of or maybe longer.”
The baby was transported by boat and then car to the wildlife centre. “The little beaver did not like the boat ride over to the marina from the island so we went slow,” Turner tells PTBOCanada. “But the whole car ride in to town he got all curled up in the towel and slept. Imagine how tired he must have been. The women at Kawartha Wildlife Centre were so amazing with him and knew exactly what to do. He made such an impact on our family and I’m just so grateful to everyone who helped us.”
Thom Luloff, Chair of the Kawartha Wildlife Centre’s Board of Directors
At the Kawartha Wildlife Centre, the dedicated Wildlife Care Team of staff and volunteers provided care around the clock. The beaver was stabilized after several days of dehydration and exposure to the elements.
Photo by Tracy Turner
