Roanoke – The Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center has a new addition: a baby beaver kit, making three kits in its care this year.
Beavers are very social animals that need to be with others to thrive. This latest kit was found swimming up to people at the Rivanna River in Charlottesville. Despite efforts to locate its den and mother, neither could be found. The kit was taken to the Wildlife Center of Virginia where it received fluids and was placed in the centers ICU to rest, according to a post on Wildlife Center of Virginia’s Facebook page. Overall, the center reported the beaver kit is healthy.
“Raising a beaver is a bit more complicated than many of our other native mammals; not only do they require a semi-aquatic setup, but they also need long-term care! In the wild, baby beavers spend a full two years with their mother before venturing off on their own. Young beavers are also social animals and fare much better if they are raised in a group,” the center said.
“Fortunately, our friends at the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke have a beaver kit that they are raising, so we’ve transferred this one to them so they can be placed together."
It was transferred to the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center in Roanoke to join their other kits July 8.
The three beavers will remain at the center until 2027.
This latest arrival follows the first beaver kit rescued by the center earlier this year. That kit was found by canoeists in the Sandy River Reservoir in Prince Edward County. Sabrina Garvin, president of the center, said the little beaver swam toward the canoe and grabbed a hand, refusing to be put back in the water.
Garvin explained, “Being so young and nowhere near a den is a telltale sign that the beaver needed rescue. They usually have pneumonia, which proved to be correct.”
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Katherine McGrath, a staff member at the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center said their youngest beaver kit is doing well.
“He’s being bottle-fed I think every five hours or so. But he’s doing fantastic. We learned that he hates cold water. He only likes warm water, so he will refuse to swim in cold water right now. And he’s a little picky about his food, but other than that, he’s growing just fine.”
The center also cares for a six-month-old beaver kit. The two will be introduced slowly once the younger one is old enough to ensure proper socialization, which is critical for beavers. “They’re always with a parent or a sibling. They’re doted on. And if they don’t get their way, they’ll have tantrums. But they need the socialization,” Garvin said.
Beaver kits can start swimming 24 hours after birth but are too buoyant to leave the lodge on their own. Flooding, predators, or human activity can destroy lodges, leaving kits separated and vulnerable.
The rehabilitation process for these kits will last about two years, with a planned release in spring 2027. The center may ask the public for donations of willow and birch branches to help feed the beavers.
The Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center is a nonprofit that receives no state or federal funding. The center solely relies on community donations and fundraising efforts. To help with the rehabilitation process, donations can be made online.