Press Release: 2024-10-04

Governor Healey: Nibi to Remain at Wildlife Facility as Educational Beaver

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

10/03/2024

BOSTON — Today, the Healey-Driscoll Administration issued a permit to Newhouse Wildlife Rescue for Nibi the beaver to remain at the rehabilitation facility and serve as an educational animal.

“Nibi has captured the hearts of many of our residents, mine included,” said Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. “We’re excited to share that we have issued a permit for Nibi to remain in Newhouse’s care, continuing to educate the public about this important species. I’m grateful to our state’s dedicated wildlife biologists who work every day to care for Massachusetts wildlife, and I hope Nibi inspires more people to protect our natural world.”

“We all care about what is best for the beaver known as Nibi and all wild animals throughout our state,” said Mark Tisa, Director of MassWildlife. “Our mission is to protect and conserve the diverse species of fish and wildlife throughout Massachusetts. We share the public’s passion for wildlife and invite everyone to learn more about beavers and their important place in our environment.”

For the last two years, Nibi has been under the care of Newhouse Wildlife Rescue, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Wildlife rehabilitators care for sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife, and the ultimate goal is to provide necessary treatment for animals so they can be released back into the wild. In rare cases, a permit can be issued for the animal to be used in educational settings. 

Beavers are common and abundant throughout Massachusetts. A keystone species, beavers play an important role in fostering biodiversity of our ecosystems. By damming rivers and streams and forming shallow ponds, beavers are vital for creating healthy wetlands that support a tremendous diversity of plants, bugs, and wildlife and store floodwaters during storms.  Beavers are North America’s largest native rodents, weighing between 35 and 80 pounds and reaching 2–3 feet in length as adults. Their thick fur, webbed hind feet, and a flat, leathery tail allow them to thrive in aquatic habitats. Beavers feed on a variety of aquatic plants and on twigs, leaves, roots, and bark of woody plants like aspen, birch, and willow. Adult beavers have very few predators and can live for 20 years or more. 

In almost all cases, it’s best to leave wildlife alone. If you determine that an animal needs intervention, you can contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for assistance. Wild animals are protected by law. It is illegal to take an animal from the wild to care for or to attempt to keep as a pet. If you think that an animal may be in need of intervention, learn what to do if you find a wild animal that may be sick or hurt and consider contacting a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for assistance.