Our National Symbol - May We Learn From It

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The Beaver is a national symbol of which Canada should be very proud. Not a red mouthed King of the Jungle which tears its victims to pieces, nor a high flying predator which looks noble and feeds on carrion, our beaver goes quietly through life, building the wetlands which are so absolutely necessary to the maintenance of our wilderness. Even when their plans do not happen to coincide with ours, and we grumble about “nuisance beavers” - if we are considering the future of our land, we should learn from beavers.

Not that this contribution was why they were chosen as our national symbol. We aren’t that bright even yet. We chose the beaver because the quest for its hide led our explorers across a continent. Because we could make money from its fur, we killed millions upon millions of beavers. Until they were almost extinct. Then, realizing how much wealth we were about to loose, we kindly reintroduced them. However, disregarding our disregard, the beaver continues to make a vital contribution to Canada, from coast to coast to coast.

Nipissing and Nipigon, two beavers currently resident at Aspen Valley (they will be going free) are doing their very best to encourage the world to respect the symbol of Canada. Just now they are in an enclosure next to some fox kits (indicating that they have no preference about neighbourhood) and they don’t waste time. Orphaned by dynamite and road construction when they were barely two weeks old, they have had no adult to teach them, but they know that beavers should be busy. They don’t waste time. Totally rejecting the small wooden den we built for them, they have used every available material - sticks and straw and leaves and stones - to build themselves a lodge that would do them credit in a flowing creek. However, they do take time from their work to deal with people.

Their influence is continent-wide. Humans from every province and some of the Territories have stood beside the enclosure and watched the beavers working - as have people from all over the United States and even Mexico.

One general comment, “I didn’t know they were so beautiful!” They are.

Cameras click (or whatever modern cameras do) - and the pictures of the beavers at work will be shown in China and Japan and Hong Kong. Nipissing and Nipigon will be seen working on videos in Australia and New Zealand. Their names will be pronounced with strong English accents, and Scottish and Irish. A family from Holland suggested they might have learned something about water control from beavers. . . Volunteers from Germany and Austria and England have helped in their care over the summer.

A man from Israel honoured them with a Hebrew name. I wish I had been quick enough to have him write it down for me - but it sounded rather like Bone-ay, meaning Beaver. If anyone knows how that should be written in Hebrew, we would all like to know! A Hebrew sign would look splendid on the enclosure!

Children have met the beavers and, when I am there to supervise, been allowed to feel the softness of their fur. I do not know of any other animals as completely trustworthy as these two. Nipissing or Nipigon will stand by my knee as I sit in the doorway of the enclosure, and a child may pet the great head or touch the sleek fur, and sometimes even touch the tail which they find so intriguing.

Again, softly, “He’s so beautiful . . . .”
“So soft . .......”
“Listen - he’s talking!”

And the soft wonder in their voices and the shine in their eyes should make us change our reasons for regarding him as our symbol. No longer economic values but real values. And, instead of killing him as our law now states we may, following his lead in caring for our wilderness.

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