"ALBERTA BEAVER POWER LIFTING" - Beaver (North American)

October 09, 2024 • Leave a Comment

"ALBERTA BEAVER POWER LIFTING"

Beaver (North American) - 12 Photos

The following photos were taken on two different days.

Day 1

The first day, when the beaver arrived at the stream, there was one cut log lying perpendicular to the water, with one end almost at the edge of the stream and the remainder lying upright almost to the top of the incline and close to a small thicket.

After some evaluating of how best to tackle the job and get into the best position, the beaver opted for a technique I've used myself for negotiating a somewhat steep but small incline, the two step, side step, i.e. going down sideways (Photo #4 & 5). Now I don't feel such a coward for being cautious on downhill slopes.

And in true lumberjack style, "we" hauled up the log uphill using teeth, jaw & shoulders with some assistance from front & back legs. Loggers used to use cant hooks or hooked pikes to turn floating logs over in the river but for beavers, all equipment is built in.

And then to negotiate from one side of the log to the other, the beaver executed a somewhat undignified manoeuvre of pulling himself across, best seen from the back view (Photo #7). Again, thank you Beavers for not making me feel so inadequate as a human. I've also used this technique to negotiate large fallen trees in the woods, using my hands as pivots.

Day 2

I'm assuming this is the same beaver as the previous day as the notch on his tail is identical to the one the previous day. He/she is, definitely, is an overachiever.

There was no side stepping this time, just straight down the incline into the stream. Then a quick swim upstream, grabbed a small branch with leaves and headed back. But returning to the lodge with such a small token would be too easy. At the bottom of the incline was another partial log, of equal if not bigger size, than the one from the day before.

So "we" rearranged the grip on the small branch to accommodate a hold on the log and proceeded up the hill, both bounties in mouth. There were a few time outs while the beaver paused to catch his/her breath & rest and then it was into the pond and back to the lodge.

DAY 1

PHOTO #1