'Diva' beaver, beloved since birth, allowed to stay at U.S. rescue centre

For some time, there was aquestion of whether a two-year-oldbeaver would be allowed stay withtherescuers she has known since she was a baby, or be released intothewild.

That question was resolved Thursday whenthe governor of Massachusetts stepped in to protect the beaver named Nibi.

Thestate issued apermitto Newhouse Wildlife Rescue forNibito remain attherehabilitation facility and serve as an educational animal.

"Nibihas capturedthehearts of many of our residents, mine included," Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said Thursday. "We're excited to share that we have issued a permit forNibito remain in Newhouse's care, continuing to educatethepublic about this important species."

Nibi's fate had made it alltheway tothestate courts before Healey stepped in.

A judge on Tuesday had said thatNibiwould be allowed to stay in her home attherescue centre in Chelmsford, located northwest of Boston. A hearing had been set for Friday in a case filed bytherescuers against MassWildlife,thestate's division of fisheries and wildlife, to stoptherelease.

Nibi's rescuers at Newhouse Wildlife Rescue said on their Facebook page that they were "beyond grateful" for Healey's decision.

Nibihas been a hit ontherescue group's social media since she was a baby, and posts about her impending release garnered thousands of comments.

An online petition to saveNibifrom being released intothewild has received over 25,000 signatures, lawmakers have weighed in, and earlier this week Healey pledged to make sureNibiis protected.

"We all care about what is best forthebeaverknown asNibiand all wild animals throughout our state," Mark Tisa, director of MassWildlife, said in a statement Thursday. "We sharethepublic's passion for wildlife and invite everyone to learn more about beavers and their important place in our environment."

Jane Newhouse,therescue group's founder and president, has said that afterNibiwas found ontheside oftheroad, they tried to reunite her with nearby beavers who could have been her parents but were unsuccessful. After that, attempts to get her to bond with other beavers also didn't work.

"It's very difficult to consider releasing her when she only seems to like people, and seems to have no interest in being wild or bonding with any of her own species," she said.

Nibihas a large enclosure with a pool attherescue operation, and will also wander in its yard and rehabilitation space, Newhouse said: "She pretty much has full run oftheplace. Everybody on my team is in love with her."

Newhouse said she had asked MassWildlife if she could get a permit forNibito become an educationalbeaver, allowing her to takethebeaverto schools, libraries and town halls. Newhouse said she feared a release would mean certain death for her beloved "diva"beaver, who doesn't know how to live inthewild.

"It doesn't give her much time ... to figure out how to build a lodge forthefirst time, how to build dams forthefirst time, how to store all of her food before winter sets in," she said.

Newhouse said that beavers usually leave their parents betweentheages of two and three years old, so it's possible that overthenext yearNibiwill show more interest in wanting to be inthewild. But unless that happens, she wants to keep her safe.

Beavers are common and abundant throughout Massachusetts. A keystone species, beavers play an important role in fostering biodiversity of ecosystems, according to state officials.

By damming rivers and streams, and forming shallow ponds, beavers are vital for creating healthy wetlands that support a tremendous diversity of plants, bugs, and wildlife, and store floodwaters during storms.

They are also North America's largest native rodents, weighing between 35 and 80 poundsand reaching 0.6 to 0.9 metresin length as adults.

Adult beavers have very few predators and can live for 20 years or more.

In almost all cases, it's best to leave wildlife alone, officials said, so they don't come to rely on humans for food and shelter.