"Speedy", a baby beaver orphaned during the Madison County floods, gets milk formula from author at the Witter Wildlife Refuge.

What is soft and fuzzy, cries like a squeaky toy and loves to cuddle?  Answer:  A baby beaver recently rescued from the Madison County floods.

“Speedy” weighs just over two pounds and is one of the most loveable little creatures I have ever encountered.  She was found stranded after the massive flooding we experienced a few weeks ago and I have been undergoing a crash course on beaver rearing ever since.

Beavers eat bark, wood, tender plants, and other pond type vegetation.  They actually store branches under water by sticking them in the mud as a winter food source.  They have an extra flap of skin (a membrane) in their mouth that allows them to carry a mouthful of sticks under water without getting water in their mouth.  They can stay under water for up to 15 minutes on one breath of air.

Beavers have been known to build dams up to thousands of feet long and have an incredible knowledge of hydro engineering.  Some of their structures last many years, even decades after the beavers have left.  Beaver dams serve an important wildlife function on a multitude of levels.  Initially they create wetlands that support water fowl and other pond life.  After the beavers are gone and the dams eventually let go, they leave behind meadows full of rich soil that had been trapped behind the dam over the years.

Beavers primarily eat small trees and branches but will on occasion fell a large tree or “girth it”- gnaw through the bark completely around the tree which, of course, will kill it.

Many beavers choose a location and stay put while others will travel along rivers visiting several areas.  I have had beavers show up at my pond in the spring on several occasions.  They conveniently clean out all the accumulated branches and leaves then move on to bigger and better things.  I personally love it, sort of like having a free pool cleaning service.

Baby beavers are called “kits.”  An adult beaver can weigh up to 60 pounds.  Males are more gentle than females who can get aggressive as they get older.  The hair of the beaver is waterproof and dries very fast after leaving the water, kind of a drip-dry system.  Beavers use their flat tail as a rudder while swimming and also as a warning device to others by slapping it on the water so hard it can sound almost like a gun shot. 

“Speedy,” my little orphan, is still nursing a and gets a formula of puppy replacement milk, heavy whipping cream,  and yogurt.  She can eat up to a quarter of her weight a day in milk.  She is just starting to eat solid foods that include willow branches, sweet potato, peanuts and assorted greens.

Like many young animals she loves to relieve herself in the water which means daily pool cleanings for me.  What’s one more task along with a baby bird I feed every 30 minutes, three raccoon infants that eat every four hours, a bobcat that demands very careful interaction, 10 wolves, three dogs and a full-time construction business to pay for the pleasure?

DONATIONS NEEDED If you would like to help any donation amount  it is greatly appreciated.  Donations should be made out to Witter Wildlife Refuge and can be sent to P.O. Box 1118, Huntsville AR 72740.

See web page under "HOW YOU CAN HELP" for specific ways you can help us help wildlife