A beaver in Saskatoon took the term ‘breaking the ice’ quite literally.
Mike Digout has been visiting a family of beavers along the Meewasin Trail and a moment he captured has gone viral.
The ice freezing over near her family’s dam couldn’t stop a mother beaver from keeping her home in tip-top condition. Digout saw the mother break through the ice on numerous occasions and kept his camera out until it was the perfect moment.
“About a week ago I saw her coming and could see where she was heading under the ice. I ran there and got my video rolling just as she busted through almost Superman style through the ice,” Digout recalled.
The Saskatoon mother has now been seen all over the world and a licensing company now has rights to it.
“It’s been on ABC News and the London Daily Mail. I got a phone call this morning from the New York Post who want to interview me about the beaver video so our little Meewasin Valley Saskatoon mama beaver is probably becoming the most famous beaver in Canada,” Digout said.
Digout is excited people can enjoy the beauty of the animals with him. He started frequenting the beaver family’s dam when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the city. It was a calming activity that kept him busy.
At first, Digout thought it was just two beavers living there. He then realized there were two ‘teenager’ beavers and three kits.
The family spent the summer chopping down trees and finding materials for their home. Now, they spend most of their time building and maintaining the dam and lodge in preparation for winter.
Digout said the best part of observing the beavers is being able to share moments with people. Whenever families come by, Digout is always happy to show them what’s going on.
He adds families that are new to Canada are always thrilled to see the national animal in action for the first time.
He is also reaching people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to see the beavers.
“A lot of seniors haven’t been able to get out because of the pandemic and they really enjoy the slice of nature that my videos and photos of the beavers bring them,” Digout said about sharing content online.
Digout plans to keep visiting the beaver family every day.