Single father who gives more than a dam: Touching story of the beaver who's bringing up babies on his own after death of his mate

By Emily Anne Epstein


Love: As Father's Day nears, one single dad is hard at working caring for his kits, giving them more than just a dam

As Father's Day nears, one single dad is hard at working caring for his kits, giving them more than just a dam.

Known as 'Dad,' the Martinez, California, beaver has been raising his three children on his own in the Alhambra Creek in California for more than a year.

Chronicled by Worth A Dam, this animal's inspiring quest to teach his little darlings how to build dams, dive and forage for food began with a tragedy: the death of his mate.

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Babies: Known as 'Dad,' the Martinez, California, beaver has been raising his three children on his own in the Alhambra Creek in California for more than a year

'Beaver families revolve around the adult female, and mom beaver was a particular favorite in Martinez because of her unique tail markings and nurturing of the kits,' Worth A Dam President Heidi Perryman, Ph.D. said.

Worth A Dam works to monitor and protect the beavers that live in the California creek.

Back in 2010, Mom beaver got a terrible infection and had to be euthanized.

She left behind three young beavers, two just 7-8 weeks old an another only two years old.

'She gave them her very last strength,' Mrs Perryman said, adding that the couple had previously raised 12 kits together. 'I’m just grateful that Mom was able to hang on long enough to leave us with this final gift.'

Beavers stay with their parents until they are at least two years of age, she said, and are strictly monogamous creatures.

Mom: This animal's inspiring quest to teach his little darlings how to build dams, dive and forage for food began with a tragedy: the death of his mate, pictured at the end of her life

'We were worried about their (the three kits') safety,' Mrs Perryman said to Discovery.

'Would Dad be able to provide for them and could he care for them as well as she did? Would they learn everything they needed to know without a mother?'

After Mom died, Dad disappeared for three days. Ms Perryman heard the babies whining for food and comfort deep into the night.

When they finally spotted dad after he was grieving, he appeared 'a little looser in the skin, a little older.'

From then on, Dad was the champion of his family. Worth A Dam recorded him bringing gourmet branches to his three babies to nourish them.

The group recorded Dad teaching his babies how to swim with piggyback rides around teh creek and how to gather food and chomp on wood for the dam.

Like Father: She left behind three young beavers, two just 7-8 weeks old an another only two years old. Here, Dad takes one of his children swimming

'I think that Dad's a really great role model,' Mrs Perryman said to the MailOnline.

She said that since Mom's death, Dad might have even found a new love. Today, she saw Dad bringing fennel back to the dam, which is used to stimulate lactation.
'We're hopeful,' she said.

Lasting: After her death, a sculpture of Mom was commissioned to be constructed near the dam. In the artwork, Mom is surrounded by her three kits, uniting the family forever

As to Mom, she's never far away. After her death, Mrs Perryman commissioned a sculpture of the dear, departed beaver to be constructed near the dam.

In the sculpture, Mom is surrounded by her three kits, uniting the family forever.

'She’s bringing the kits to meet us,' Mrs Perryman said, 'and asking us to take care of them when she goes.'




source:dailymail