Following their first brush with fame, the baby beavers living at the Discovery Wildlife Park in Innisfail will keep going and going and going, much like the famed pink Energizer bunny they recently filmed a commercial for.
Head zookeeper Serena Bos said the four-month old mammals, orphans that Alberta Fish and Wildlife brought to the park in May, did such an amazing job on set that she has plans for them to continue acting.
“You’re so proud of your animal that they did what they knew to do, what they were trained to do,” she said.
“And they’re so proud of themselves. You can just see that in them.”
Bos took the beavers — Gus Gus and Bæver, which is the Danish word for beaver — to B.C. on Sept. 5. The battery commercial was filmed just outside of Whistler on Sept. 8.
Barney, the park’s 13-year-old kodiak bear that is a seasoned pro on set, also made the trip out west and filmed a spot for the commercial.
All three animals “nailed” their shots, Bos said, with the only minor mishap being when Gus Gus ran right into the camera lens as the crew was filming from a different angle.
The 30-second advertisement will feature a woman walking through the woods snapping photos when she requires the immediate assistance of the Energizer bunny at the very moment that all the animals line up for the perfect picture.
Wolves, reindeer, a cougar, a skunk and a raccoon were also on set.
Bos was told the commercial would air about a month after filming.
Gus Gus and Bæver will begin making routine appearances at John Wilson Elementary School in Innisfail and will also stop by Red Deer College starting in October.
The Discovery Wildlife Park is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week until Oct. 11. If weather permits, the park will be open on weekends after Thanksgiving. For more information, call 403-227-3211.
ptrotter@www.reddeeradvocate.com