Baby beavers rescued by Manitoba wildlife rehabilitation centre

The Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre received a special delivery over the long weekend: four three-week-old beavers.

The beaver kits wereorphaned nearGypsumville, Man. when their mother was killed by a dog. They were brought to the centre by Manitoba conservation officerson Friday.

The beavers need to be bottle fed five times each day with the first feeding at 7 a.m. and the last at 11 p.m. and so the centre's employees have been taking the beavers home overnight.

The babies also have to swim in open water so they're able to digest the special formula and hydrate themselves.

"Then they swim and frolic in this water afterwards,"Dan Diawol, the director of the centre said Tuesday.

RAW: Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre takes in several three-week-old beaver kits

9 years ago

Duration 0:20

These beaver kits are having some water time after their feeding. Kits are born fully furred with their eyes open. Beaver rehabilitation is a long process as kits do not mature until they are two years old.

"They have a lot of character to them too. They whine like a human baby would, it's actually very very cute," he added.

The beavers will need to live at the centre for two years, the period of time beavers are typically cared for by their mothers, Diawol told CBC'sRadio Noon.

Normally, Diawol said that the centre's employees are trained toavoid having animals imprint on themor become habituated to humans.

"But with beaversbecause of their family unit, they have to be coddled and cared for because that's what their mom would be doing for up to two years," he said.

Diawolsaid that giving the beavers the increased levels of affection are important for their sense of securityand belonging.

Paying for a new home

The Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre is in the midst of a capital campaign to builda new state-of-the-art centre with a $2.5 million price tag.

Among the centre's many features would be an enclosure with a heated pool and waterfall.Thisnew facility wouldenable them to care for mammals that require open water to survive, even through Manitoba winters.

Currently thecentre has raised $1.13 million for the new facility andconstruction should be underway this summer so that by the fall, the centre should be able tohouse the beavers in the water enclosure.

If the centre is unable to buildthe facility before fall, they will have to find a new home for their baby beavers.

VisittheWildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre's website to find out more about their capital campaign.