In the spring of 2024, a baby beaver found herself abandoned, kicked out of her home by her own family. Alone and struggling, she was discovered near Edmonton, Alberta, by a concerned member of the public who wasted no time in rescuing her. She was taken to the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) in Madden, Alta, where her journey toward recovery and eventual freedom began. “A member of the public had found her after she’d been kicked out of her house by her family,” said Ralee Barth, operations manager at AIWC. “They watched it for a bit and once it was confirmed that they weren’t taking her back, they went in and rescued and transferred her to us.”
Healing and Bonding with Caregivers
At first, the little beaver’s situation was critical. She was diagnosed with gastrointestinal issues and wasn’t eating properly. “The first month it is like having a newborn baby,” said Barth. “They want things, but you don’t know what they want and you want her to eat because you know she must be hungry, but she won’t take anything from you—they can’t tell you.” The caregivers were unsure of how to get her to eat, but they persisted, feeding her formula five or six times a day in an effort to help her recover. “There definitely were tears sometimes when she just wouldn’t eat,” Barth added.
But this wasn’t just any rescue. The baby beaver needed to bond closely with human caregivers to thrive. “So me and one of our other staff members kind of became her primary caregivers,” said Barth. “We raised her up for the first bit in our house, swam in our bathtub, so that she felt that we were her family.”
A Feisty Personality Emerges
It didn’t take long for this little beaver to show her true colors. With an undeniable personality, she made sure to let the staff know exactly what she wanted. “Her personality is huge,” said Barth. “If you give her a snack or her breakfast and it is not exactly what she wants, she’ll scream or tail slap, or you’ll bring her dinner and she goes and picks through it and just takes the best treats out of it first and she finally eats the good stuff for her later.” Her quirky behaviors made it clear—this beaver was not your average rescue animal.
From chewing on branches to flopping around awkwardly, she hit all the classic beaver milestones, but with a youthful energy that only a baby beaver could have. “She’s just so unbelievably awkward, like watching a toddler learn to do everything,” said Barth. “She will be walking and then just fall. Or she’ll take these sticks that are like 83 times bigger than she is.”
Preparing for Her Wild Future
While the bond between the beaver and her caregivers is strong, the ultimate goal is her release into the wild. Unlike other animals that may be released back to their habitats, baby beavers require a more detailed and strategic plan. “Releasing beavers is not like releasing anything else,” Barth explained. “They are extremely territorial, so if there is already a beaver that is set up there, it would be really dangerous for her.” The AIWC team is working carefully to ensure she’ll be placed in a location that not only suits her needs but also doesn’t disrupt the local ecosystem.
“We don’t want to just release her into a random body of water where she’s going to start damming and create issues in the environment,” Barth added.
The ideal release will likely take place in the spring of 2026, once the beaver has fully recovered, gained independence, and developed the skills needed to survive on her own. “She’ll need to be ready to venture out on her own and be able to find her own food,” said Barth. Until then, she’ll continue to grow under the watchful eyes of her caregivers, slowly learning to fend for herself in the water and forest.
The Heartfelt Goodbye
Though the team at AIWC has become attached to the beaver, the hardest part of the process will be her eventual release. “It’s always so hard on the staff, but the release is also the most rewarding,” said Barth. “We spend a lot of time with these animals, even if it’s from afar—we spend so much time with them. The beaver is unique in that we spend a lot more time up close than we typically would. But getting to see them go back to the wild, seeing all that hard work payoff is unlike anything I know how to explain. It’s absolutely amazing.”
