For the past few months, the story of Nibi, a one-and-a-half-year-old orphan, has captured the attention of Americans.
Nibi, who was only a week old when found by a wildlife group on a road, orphaned and helpless, has been living since then in a rescue home.
She became the subject of a legal case over whether she should be released into the wild or remain in her present home at the Newhouse Wildlife Rescue.
However, it is now decided that she will remain at the Rescue Center after the intervention of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey.
Massachusetts Governor Intervenes to Keep ‘Diva’ Beaver Nibi at Rescue Center
The State issued permission for Nibi to remain at the Newhouse Wildlife Rescue rehabilitation facility and serve as an educational animal. A mass signature campaign, which garnered thousands of signatures, also helped to build public opinion.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey said, “Nibi has captured the hearts of many of our residents, mine included. 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.”
Nibi’s fate hung in the balance and made its way to the courts before Maura Healey stepped in and ruled that Nibi would be allowed to stay in her home at the rescue center.
MassWildlife, the state’s division of fisheries and wildlife, wanted the beaver to be set free in the wild since she was a fully grown mammal.
However, the wildlife group disagreed with MassWildlife’s contentions and stated that it was not safe for the animal to be released just before winter because she was not acclimatized to the wild and had been looked after by humans for her whole life.
The wildlife group also stated that they cannot release the animal unless they are sure it can survive in the wild.
It is not that attempts were not made to train the beaver to survive in the wild. Attempts were made to connect her with another orphaned beaver so that she could make friends, but the move was unsuccessful.
Today, Nibi is old enough and spends most of the time outside in her outdoor enclosure with minimal human interaction. When Nibi is two years old and her hormones change, she will be ready for her independent life in the wild. The authorities at the rescue center stated that then she will have nothing to do with her human friends.
Beavers are important components of aquatic ecology and are crucial for creating healthy wetlands and supporting a tremendous diversity of plants, bugs, and wildlife. They have a lifespan of up to 20 years and have few predators. They also do not rely on humans for food and shelter.
