Baby rescue beaver who bickers with roomie builds indoor dam to keep other animal out

November 11, 2022

A rescue baby beaver in Massachusetts is making it clear to her caretakers that she wants to live solo, reports People Magazine.

The baby beaver, named Nibi, lives in a habitat at Newhouse Wildlife Rescue in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. After being nice to her new roommate, Ziibi—another baby beaver to whom Nibi has taken a dislike—Nibi was rewarded with alone time in their shared habitat. However, while enjoying her hour-long me-time, Nibi went to great and hilarious lengths to keep her new roomie from returning.

She “immediately started building a dam at the door where her roommate exited…you know…in case Ziibi tries to come back inside…,” the rescue center wrote on Facebook alongside a video of Nibi crafting her obstacle.

At the time of Nibi’s construction project, Ziibi was playing in the semi-aquatic enclosure, the rescue added.

In a video clip, Nibi gathers sticks and places them in her room’s doorway, alongside other branches that she likely set down before filming started. She then trots away, grabs one stick she left behind, and adds it with others.The video ends with Nibi hopping away from the entrance, possibly looking for more branches.

Speaking to San Antonio’s KENS5,  Newhouse founder Jane Newhouse said beavers like Nibi develop dam-building instincts at a young age. “It’s so ingrained in them they’ll take anything,” she said.

In the end, Nibi’s dam didn’t keep Ziibi from returning to the habitat, so the two beavers are back to living together and working on getting along, Newhouse Wildlife Rescue shared on Facebook.

“Ziibi wants to be friends so bad,” the rescue center wrote with the video, adding, “But Nibi is a brat.”

Nibi goes as far as trying to reach through her cage to push Ziibi, “But Ziibi knows she is safe. Ziibi just likes being close to her,” the facility continued.

“Ziibi may also enjoy aggravating Nibi. She could move, but she chooses not to. We have our hands full with these two.”

Research contact: @people