Río y Arroyo: a beaver's tale, part one
By Nancy Cowing Umphres
Before I begin, I would like to take a moment to express my deep sympathy to the entire Guerra family on the loss of José María Guerra. The touching tribute to his life in the May issue was an incredible labor of love and loss. It took me several attempts to finish María Eugenia's article due to the depth of her emotion for her father and the tender memories she shared with us.
Alzheimer's disease is such a long, devastating ordeal for both the loved one and the family. If you haven't gone through it, you can't begin to imagine the sorrow of this disease. I hope modern science is allowed to continue the research for a cure and not be controlled by fanatics from the religious right. The separation of church and state must be upheld or we are doomed. Many of our ancestors came to this country to escape a monarchy that dictated their religious beliefs. I hope people remember this come November.
The flooding rains this May brought about the joy of seeing our Falcon Lake rise. As the water continued to move closer to our once-lakefront home and rescue center, water birds have returned to nest and feed. The osprey again eat fish on the light pole and a family of groove-billed ani (who prefer a river or lake habitat) have decided to take up residence in the neighborhood. Several species of kingfishers have also returned. When we walk along the rising shore teeming with aquatic life, ducks, herons, egrets, terns, and stilts abound.
As to all good things, there is always a negative, and in this case the flooding can cause many animals to lose their homes and lives. Beavers are especially susceptible due to the fact that they build their lodges across arroyos and on the sides of rivers.
A beaver lodge is an intricate construction of timber, mud, and stones that can last for years and is always being improved upon by the industrious beaver family. The entrance to the lodge is located under water to help protect the family from predators. This also keeps the precocious young beavers under control. It takes quite a flood to damage one of these sturdy structures but alas, it does sometimes happen and usually with devastating consequences, especially if very young kits (baby beavers) are involved.
Beavers mate for life and are extremely devoted parents. The young remain with their parents for about two years, helping with the younger siblings. The family can consist of about seven to 12 animals. Breeding takes place in January or February with a gestation period of 107 days. Three to four kits are born in May or June and sometimes even a second litter is possible in August or September.
On April 7 we received a phone call from Dave Mertins as we were about to collapse for the evening. A call from Dave always means an animal of some sort so I braced myself. Dave runs Mertin's Frontier Art Ranch here in Zapata and is an artist as well as a snake expert. People are always bringing him injured or orphaned animals, which he in turn hands over to Zapata Wildlife Rescue.
He had three tiny beavers that some fishermen had found washed up on the shores of the Río Grande . They had put them in a bucket and continued their day of fishing. It had been a hot day so the poor little ones were very dehydrated and weak by the time I received them at 9:30 p.m. I rushed them home and we set up a hospital cage. Beavers are one of my favorite mammals, but I still shuddered at the task ahead. Their condition would mean around-the-clock care, and if they made it, the next year of my life would be devoted to taking the place of mother and father beaver.
As I have stated above, beavers are excellent parents that dote on their young, so they expect and need an incredible amount of time and devotion. I worked around the clock to try and save the three but on the second night I lost the weakest. Thankfully, the other two continued to gain their strength and accept the formula and bottle feeding.
Beavers need a very rich baby formula in order to live. I have had success with a combination of Esbilac and heavy whipping cream. The feeding process consists of bottle feeding, burping, bathing, towel-drying, and grooming every four hours. The two were able to sleep most of the night once they were stable and rehydrated. The burping is important as beavers tend to be a bit gassy. They eliminate in the water, so bathing after each feeding is also crucial to keep the kit regular. Grooming and play time help develop social skills and keep the kit content.
Río and Arroyo began to gain weight and strength by the third day and their individual personalities began to develop. Río is the larger of the two and has a very easygoing, laid-back attitude. He is patient and remains calm most of the time. Arroyo is completely the opposite. She is demanding and can throw the most spectacular tantrums with verbalizations that sound very much like a human infant. This is usually done when her bottle is empty and she wants a refill, stat! As beavers can't be sexed externally, I have based my guess on their genders by my observations of the early signs of sex play while in their bath.
To be continued
(The Zapata Wildlife Rescue Center can be contacted by mail at 6812 STOP 68A, Zapata , TX 78076-2913 , by phone at (956) 765-8526, or e-mail at dreams@zapata.border.net. Those interested in visiting should call ahead for directions.)
