A Beaver! A Beaver in the Otter!

[bunn]

Those who wish to make jokes about this title should do so.... now!
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Someone has photographed a beaver - a real live beaver - in the River Otter The River Otter is a river that flows from Otterford in Somerset, via Ottery St Mary, to the sea at Budleigh Salterton. This is a loooong way East of the Tamar and Lifton, with Dartmoor in between the two rivers. That's a long walk on webby feet...

(Although three beavers escaped from Lifton, and only two were recaptured, there was subsequently a third beaver captured on the Tamar, that definitely wasn't the missing one (too small and wrong sex))

Where are all these British Beavers coming from?

You may make more jokes now.  :-D 

Comments

[adaese.livejournal.com]

Rogue ecologists.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

This just extends the question. Where do rogue ecologists go to get beavers? Is there a Beaver Shop, or some sort of specialist recruitment agency? Or do they just wander ... wherever beavers still naturally exist with a large bag until they find one? And do they smuggle it in on a plane, or perhaps in a hidden compartment in a large, unruly family car coming home from holiday abroad?

I can see the expression on the Chunnel sniffer dog now : "ONE OF THOSE TOY BEAVERS IS REAL!!!"

[timetiger.livejournal.com]

No jokes, but I find beavers charming. I had no idea you didn't have them. The ones in C.S. Lewis seem so British. *g*

I know we have them in N. America, but I've only ever seen them at the zoo. Of course, I can say that about raccoons as well, although everyone else seems to see them constantly.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Britain used to have beavers, but they were hunted to extinction a few centuries back - so I am sure the Narnia ones can be British!

There have been moves to reintroduce them, but at the moment, this hasn't happened officially (I think there's some opposition from landowners who don't want them randomly felling trees and making dams).

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

Beavers are very enterprising at reintroducing themselves. One was recently discovered in the Bronx! They have been gone from NYC for ages.

I also did not know you guys no longer had them. I can sort of understand homeowners being worried. They can be very stubborn when they decide some waterway needs work. If it floods your yard there is no reasoning with the beaver!

But they are such cool animals. In a greater sense it has to be worth it.