Beaver buddies 'doing really well together' as they recover from injuries at wildlife centre

A year after being found injured on a Calgary golf course, a lonely beaver now has a best friend.

When the female was about five weeks old, she was discovered with an injured tail, possibly from a predator looking to make an easy meal of the baby beaver. She was given the designation 16-946.

In June of 2016she was brought totheAlberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation, about 30 kilometres north of Calgary, where she has been recoveringbut spending much of her time alone.

But one year after being rescued, 16-946 now has a furry beaver companion. His name is 17-536, and he has a similar story to his rehabilitated friend.

"He was found in a northeast Calgary area storm drainvery unusual location for him to be found," Holly Duvall, the group's executive director, toldthe Calgary Eyeopener.

"It was well away from water and he had quite a substantial puncture wound to his back. Sowe again think with him that he was probablyattacked by a predator of some sort."

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The new beaver has been at the facility since June of this year and the two creatures have become fast friends, interacting and getting to know each other duringsupervised visits andswims in the pool.

Beaver buddies

Duvall said16-946 has met a few other beavers at thefacility since she came to the institute a year ago, but 17-536 is the first oneshe has gotten along with.

"It's still slow, introductions are supervised," Duvall said.

"We want to make sure they're both safe. Beaver introductions can be quite dangerous. They can be quite aggressive to one another, especially when they're outside of the family unit."

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Duvall said having a littlecompany is helping both beavers recover from their traumas and the two beavers are socializing.

"It really helps with their mental well-being, which is a great aid to their recovery while they're in our care," Duvall said.

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While it's still too early to tell if there is a love connection in the works between the two beavers, Duvall said it's possible thatthe two will continue to live as a pair when they leave the facility and are reintroducedinto the wildsometimein the spring of 2018.

"Based on how their interactions are going right now, they're doing really well together. So we would hope they would remain together in the wild as well."

Costly critters

Duvall said beavers spend two to three years in a family unit before breaking out on their own.

TheAlberta Institute for Wildlife Conservationis a charitableorganization, and raising beavers is a costly endeavour. Food, water, husbandry and care for the two beavers will costnearly$23,000a year, so the the group has set up a GoFundMepage where people can donate to the care and upkeep of the animals.

There is alsoan option to "adopt" wild animals online, including the pair of beavers, through the group'sonline store.

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• With files from the Calgary Eyeopener