Help Name Beaver Kits at Drusillas Park Zoo
June 14, 2014
Two North American Beaver kits were born at the United Kingdom’sDrusillas Park Zoo.
The babies, both males, are healthy and growing fast! The zoo invites fans to suggest names for the kits on its Facebook page.
Photo Credit: Drusillas Park Zoo
Beavers are found near rivers and lakes throughout much of North America. They are the world’s second-largest rodent species, after the Capybara. Beavers use sticks to build dams on waterways, with a goal of providing a buffer zone of deep, quiet water as a defense against potential predators. A lodge made of sticks, with an underwater entrance, is constructed in the middle of the deep water. Pairs usually mate for life, and kits remain in the lodge for the first month of life.
Once hunted extensively for their fur, Beaver populations have fallen dramatically in the last century. Today, however, efforts at restoring Beaver populations have been successful in some urban areas. Though they can be destructive, Beaver dams help to establish wetlands that remove sediments and pollutants from the water.