A sick beaver with a large abscess on its tail is under medical care in the Okanagan after being rescued earlier Wednesday.
The Interior Wildlife Rehabilitation Society says a member of the public contacted them by email after spotting the beaver at Rotary Marsh Park in downtown Kelowna.
Members of the non-profit organization gently captured the beaver with a large cage trap, then took it to the vet, where it was examined in the afternoon.
“A member of the public saw the beaver from the boardwalk, saw its injured tail, and got in touch with us by email,” said Society spokesperson Eva Hartmann.
According to Hartmann, the injury was severe enough that it could have impacted the estimated two-year-old beaver’s survival.
“For wildlife rehabilitators in Canada, beavers are not that unusual,” said Hartmann, noting the beaver was quite lethargic and was reluctant to move at all.
That it was lethargic was one of the reasons why it was captured, “otherwise, we would have not captured it because it’s always stressful for wild animals.”
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Regarding the abscess, Hartmann says it means “there’s bacteria that’s encapsulated underneath the skin, so it could have a bacterial infection, possibly a fever.”
The vet who examined the beaver said the animal was thin for its size and that the abscess was painful and may have been bothering him for some time.
The vet said they plan on inspecting the abscess, then treat it with long-acting antibiotics before releasing it back into the wild.
“We hope there’s a good resolution to it,” said the vet. “And then get them out where they’re not being handled. They don’t want to be handled; it’s stressful to them. The sooner they’re out, the better.”
Hartmann added that special permits are needed to capture wildlife, as wildlife belongs to the province. Also, she discouraged the public from doing so, as some animals can be dangerous.
On a side note, Interior Wildlife is hosting a fundraiser on Friday.
The fundraiser is a film festival featuring wildlife documentaries at Creekside Theatre in Lake Country. A silent auction will also be held.
The fundraiser is called Wild About Spring, with information available online.
Proceeds will go to the extension of the society’s facilities, so it can build a semi-aquatic wetland habitat for animals like beavers.
More information about Interior Wildlife, including how to donate, is also available online.
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