Wednesday June 14, 2023
Daily Democrat —
Don’t mess with beavers. Particularly if they’re busy beavers.
That lesson was learned by staff at the Cache Creek Nature Preserve this week who were monitoring beavers and their dam building on the creek and saw a “beaver cam” dragged into the water by the industrious mammals.
Beavers are regularly observed on Cache Creek and Putah Creek in Yolo County and for the past couple of weeks, Nature Preserve staff have seen new dams being erected.
“After the heavy rains and high flows, many of the dams had been swept away, so it’s wonderful to see the beavers get back to work,” stated Preserve biologist Felicia Wang. “They are extremely industrious and have made quick progress.”
Wang said she and others have sighted two dams and estimate there are probably four beavers at work – a male and a female.
To help monitor the beavers, staff set up a game camera, one of many used in the Preserve to help track wildlife. The camera is designed to “trigger” each time an animal comes into its field of view.