Justin Beaver is quite a very busy beaver. He’s been building dams inside his adoptive mom’s house.
Justin Beaver or JB was about 8 weeks old when he was found last summer. For some reason, he wasn’t with his mom, dad or any other siblings. Knowing how dangerous it could be to leave the beaver alone in the wild, the wildlife rehabilitator Brigette Brouillard decided to take him home. JB was her first rehabilitated beaver.
At home, JB is just plain entertaining
You could see him gathering whatever he finds at home. From bathroom mats, socks, shoes, and even Brigette’s laptop, he’ll take everything he could get his paw on.
Unfortunately, that also meant Brigette’s doors, baseboards, furniture, and dry walls. In her estimate, JB has already caused about $500 to $600 worth of damage.
Despite the damages, Brigette is still fond of the beaver
She makes sure that he has everything he needs to fully adapt to his environment. That included making sure that JB has access to clean water 4 to 5 times a day. She makes sure that the water is shallow enough for him to put his feet on the floor.
Beavers do their business in the water so JB hangs in the area whenever he needs to drink, pee, and poop. To make sure her tub doesn’t get too dirty, she scrubs it down all the time. While that sounds like a lot of work, Brigette actually enjoys it and even considers her tub as the cleanest in town since she always has to clean it.
She also makes sure that JB has enough supply of tree branches and wood. This is to ensure that his teet won’t grow too long and that they remain healthy.
You see, beavers have teeth that grow all the time. Compared with other mammals, they don’t really get worn down.
JB has fallen in love with sweet potatoes and even kale. He considers them as his most favorite snacks. Whenever Brigette opens the refrigeration, he’d always get excited, knowing that he’s bound to have a treat soon.
Apart from eating, JB also likes combing his fur. He uses his hind feet’s claws as a hairbrush to really get his fur in good condition.
The beaver also has an interesting way of sleeping. He gets a big wad of a fleece blanket and put it inside his mouth. Then, he’ll hold the rest with his hands. With such mannerisms, JB looks quite like a baby soothing himself with a pacifier.
JB isn’t the only animal in Brigette’s house. She actually has 3 more animals in her home- two skunks and an armadillo.
Just like JB, these animals are also licensed by the federal government as educational animals. They can’t be released into the wild so they’re staying permanently with Brigette.
JB, despite adapting well in Brigette’s home, needs a bigger body of water and space for himself. That’s one reason why Brigette is working hard to create a special enclosure where he can enjoy a 6-foot deep pond filled with well-filtered water. There, he’ll be able to build all the dams he likes.
Being the founder of Second Chances Wildlife Center in Kentucky, Brigette is also caring for about 250 animals every year. The list includes foxes, bats, opossums, groundhogs, and more.
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