Sick beaver chauffeured 400 km to new lodgings - Action News
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Ottawa

Sick beaver chauffeured 400 km to new lodgings

File this story under "only in Canada." A sick beaver and its volunteer chauffeur have completed a 400-km road trip to an animal sanctuary west of Ottawa.

Beaver from Ottawa area will likely be released in spring

The beaver in its new home at the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Rosseau, Ont., on Wednesday afternoon. (Submitted by the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary)

File this beaver taleunder "only in Canada."

A volunteer driver from Stittsville, Ont., has successfully chauffeured a sick beaver to its new home in Rosseau, Ont., nearly 400 kilometres west of Ottawa a damlong road trip.

The beaver, whose plight caught the attention of many Canadianson social media, was founddehydrated, underweightand lethargic in an Ottawa-area backyard.

Mary Herbert beside the cage which she used to transport the sick beaver. (Janalene Kingshott)

Late Tuesdayafternoon, the Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary tweeted an urgent plea for a driver to pick up the 11-kilogram beaver and take it to the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, which is better equipped to treat the animal.

It took only 30 minutes for Mary Herbert a self-confessed "beaver fan"to respond to the request.

Beaver 'in prettygood shape'

"Where I live we have beaver ponds close by. It's just nice when I'm out walking with my dog seeing the beavers," said Herbert. "When an animal needed aid I figured I could step up to theplate and do it."

When an animal needed aid I figured I could step up to theplate and do it.- Mary Herbert, beaver chauffeur

So on Wednesday morning, Herbert and the beaversafely lodged ina catcarrier hit the road and began the roughly four-hour journey.

Not only did she have to keep one eye on the animal, she was also asked by the animal experts to keep the radio offso the beaver could ride in silence.

The original tweet that turned a "lethargic" beaver into a social media star. (Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary/Twitter)

"It was a beautiful,quiet drive," said Herbert. "He made no noise at all so I have to say I was a little apprehensive as to what I was finding when I got here."

Howard Smith, managing director of theAspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, said the beaver arrived "in pretty good shape, all things considered."

As patients, Smith said beavers have "varying personalities"

The sanctuary inRosseaualreadyhas about a dozen beavers in its care at the moment. Smith said the latest additionwill probably be released next spring.

Beaver drunk?

It's still unclear what exactly happened to the animal.

The beaver, which is about18 months old,would normallystill be with its parents this time of year, but Smith said they must have become separated.

Rumours swirled online that the beaver may have gotten drunk off fermenting apples.

"The beaver probably could use some coffee and a couple of Aspirinsand some rest," opined one commentator.

Smith admitted it's aplausible diagnosis.

"It's a theory," he said.