Photo: Getty Images
A "rare animal" was discovered among a pile of leaves in Palo Alto last Wednesday (November 29) and one local animal control officer could hardly believe his eyes. According to SF Gate, Palo Alto Animal Control officer Cody Macartney was the first to discover the animal in the leaf pile near lower Matadero Creek. There, Macartney found a female beaver, wrapped in her tale, trying to stay warm amid the leaves.
The officer had received calls about the animal's presence at the creek earlier in the day but didn't initially believe suspicions to be true as a beaver sighting in that area would be extremely rare. Sure enough, Macartney arrived on site and there she was! When he waded towards the beaver, she was so calm that she barely moved. The stunned officer explained the extent of the rarity to SF Gate.
“We don’t see something like this every day. I’ve been here 21 years, and I’ve never heard of anyone catching or getting a call for a beaver.”
Macartney captured the 61-pound animal in a net, wrapped her in a towel, and drove her to San Jose's Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley to be assessed for injury. Center manager Ashley Kinney mentioned that when the beaver arrived, its body temperature was low.
“Generally, when we receive calls about beavers, we automatically suspect it might be a muskrat because they're so rare in our area. She was extremely lethargic and her body temperature was low, but she had no signs of trauma, so we’re trying to figure out if something is going on neurologically or internally that’s causing her not to act appropriately.”
The beaver is currently being tested for illness and disease and continues to receive an array of fluids and vitamins until a diagnosis can be made.