Well, it’s finally happened. After two years of only managing a few nuzzles and some mutual grooming, the Ellis Bird Farm beavers have at last produced a litter of four kits.
The births of the tiny beavers came as a complete surprise to the bird farm’s biologist and manager Myrna Pearman.
Given that the two adults (christened June and Ward) had been without issue since arriving at the bird farm in the fall of 2010, “I just thought they would remain “a kit-less couple,” said Pearman.
But their new arrivals were first noticed on June 2 when mewing was heard on the webcam that had previously been installed to monitor beaver activity inside the lodge.
“It’s so exciting and so cute,” said Pearman, who had witnessed June and Ward exhibiting “what looks like affection,” by grooming each other and nuzzling.
Now their four furry kits spend most of their time either mewing or nursing.
When Ward comes home after a long day of swimming and chewing “they make these greeting sounds,” said Pearman. “They groom each other and give immediate attention to each other.”
The two parents and four kits have also been sleeping all snuggled together — which is another surprise for Pearman. She expected that June would have pushed Ward out of the lodge when the kits were born, but that hasn’t happened. Presumably the two beavers have not read the same literature that Pearman had perused, written by experts on beaver behaviour.
The beaver is Canada’s national symbol and the source of our historic economy. But not much is really known about how the large rodents interact with each other, Pearman said — which is why the web camera at the bird farm has been such a fantastic innovation.
She doesn’t know of another such webcam that’s been positioned inside a beaver lodge anywhere else in North America.
In fact, rare local video footage assembled by volunteer “beaver feeder” Rick Zemanek (a retired Advocate editor) and local videographer Phil French was already used in the Nature of Things documentary, The Beaver Whisperers.
Pearman predicts more exciting video footage will be caught in future, now that the pair have a family.
When Ward and June first moved onto a creek on the premises, concerns about the possible destruction of trees left Ellis Bird Farm staff wondering if they should be removed.
But one of the farm’s gardeners urged waiting to see if a problem arises before taking action.
And Pearman believes three things have since happened to make the beaver settlement possible: Staff control the level of water held by the beaver dam, so there’s no flooding; important trees were wired against beaver damage; and staff “feed” the beavers, by regularly providing them with chopped aspen branches.
This minimizes other destruction to vegetation — although one spruce tree was recently felled by the beavers.
Pearman believes spruce branches were used to prepare a bed for the arrival of the kits. “Cutting down a spruce tree is unusual. But it looks as if she’s hauled the branches into the lodge and used the boughs to make a bed for nursing.”
So far, the presence of Ward and June has made a positive impact on the area’s biodiversity and wetland ecosystem.
Pearman has noticed the mud and twigs used to make the beaver dam and lodge create a lot of micro-environments for other species to flourish. As a result, new bird species have been noticed in the area, including belted kingfisher and northern water thrush.
By watching June, Ward and their new family at work and play, she hopes more people will develop an appreciation of the role beavers play in the environment. “I recognize they can cause some short-term damage, but over all, they are a very important part of the ecosystem.”
Anyone interested can watch the beaver webcam by visiting www.ellisbirdfarm.ca.
lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com