Close X
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
ADVT 
National

Canadian Kindness: Ontario Woman Drives 400 Km To Help Ailing Beaver

The Canadian Press, 09 Dec, 2015 12:45 PM
    It was a quintessentially Canadian act of kindness.
     
    When an Ontario wildlife sanctuary put out an urgent call for someone to drive an ailing beaver to a specialized facility some 400 kilometres away, they found a volunteer within half an hour.
     
    Mary Herbert didn't have any prior plans to make the trek from Ottawa to Rosseau, Ont., but offered to give the rodent a ride on Wednesday simply because she's always liked Canada's national animal.
     
    "I just figured I could help them out," the Ottawa-area resident told The Canadian Press after arriving at her destination.
     
    "I looked at my husband and said 'I can do that, I'm free tomorrow.' I love animals. It's really nice to be able to help wildlife out. It's not an opportunity many get."
     
    Herbert had never volunteered for the Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary before, but she did follow them on Facebook, which is how she saw their appeal for a "beaver taxi."
     
    "If I can save one beaver's life, that's a good thing," she said. "There's a beaver pond where I live and that's just part of the wildlife that I see, and I like. This fellow, it looks like he's been orphaned and he needed help."
     
    The beaver travelled in a crate which was covered with a blanket and kept on the back seat of Herbert's car.
     
    "He didn't say a word the whole way," Herbert said.
     
    The rodent — which has no name — was found on Friday in a yard in the Ottawa area by residents who called the sanctuary.
     
    "He was found unusually far from water," said sanctuary board member Heather Badenoch. "He was dehydrated, he was lethargic, he was disoriented."
     
    The beaver was warmed up and given immediate care at the sanctuary but his behaviour still wasn't normal, Badenoch said.
     
    A decision was made to transport the beaver to the Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in the Muskoka region north of Toronto as quickly as possible so he could be examined by a vet.
     
    The beaver would also have the option of spending the winter at that sanctuary if required because of its indoor water enclosure.
     
    "The beaver is beyond what we have the facility for here," said Badenoch. "Once he was stabilized enough to be transported, we put out the call."
     
    The plea went out on social media channels, sparked the hashtag #beavertaxi, and caught Herbert's attention.
     
    The sanctuary has put out similar calls for "animal taxis" before, but Badenoch said the sheer volume of responses generated by the beaver's plight and the speed at which the call was answered made it stand out.
     
    "I think it was because it was a beaver," she said. "The joke was, it's the most Canadian thing to happen in Canada."

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Surrey Board Of Trade Gives Surrey Food Bank $1500 And 400 Pounds Of Food

    Surrey Board Of Trade Gives Surrey Food Bank $1500 And 400 Pounds Of Food
    Over 400 business people attended this annual Christmas event, and donated either cash or food.

    Surrey Board Of Trade Gives Surrey Food Bank $1500 And 400 Pounds Of Food

    Toronto Police Arrest Man Following Argument With Officers

    The video, shot last Friday outside a liquor store in the northwest end of the city, shows a white officer restraining a black man by kneeling on his back.

    Toronto Police Arrest Man Following Argument With Officers

    Breathalyzer History Records Ruled Off-Limits In Drunk-driving Cases

    Breathalyzer History Records Ruled Off-Limits In Drunk-driving Cases
    The ruling limits disclosure of records accused frequently ask for in drunk-driving prosecutions.

    Breathalyzer History Records Ruled Off-Limits In Drunk-driving Cases

    Liberals Try To Put A Lid On Controversy Surrounding Two Trudeau Nannies

    Liberals Try To Put A Lid On Controversy Surrounding Two Trudeau Nannies
    OTTAWA — The Liberals are attempting to put a lid on concerns raised about two taxpayer-funded nannies who provide care for Justin Trudeau's three young children.

    Liberals Try To Put A Lid On Controversy Surrounding Two Trudeau Nannies

    Abbotsford Store Owner And Wife Get Pepper Sprayed Before Robber's Short-lived Getaway

    A 36-year-old man who allegedly used pepper spray during a store robbery in Abbotsford, B.C., didn't get far before being nabbed.

    Abbotsford Store Owner And Wife Get Pepper Sprayed Before Robber's Short-lived Getaway

    Lead-footed B.C. Drivers To Get Digital Reminder To Slow Down In Bad Weather

    Lead-footed B.C. Drivers To Get Digital Reminder To Slow Down In Bad Weather
    VANCOUVER — B.C. drivers oblivious to bad weather conditions will soon have a high-tech reminder to slow down.

    Lead-footed B.C. Drivers To Get Digital Reminder To Slow Down In Bad Weather