A Beaver Runs Through It

While penning my latest article and sipping iced coffee on my porch, I spotted an unfamiliar creature sitting at the edge of the yard. 

Having had my fair share of animal sightings in Maplewood — from a fox traveling through a neighbor's backyard to an in-flight flock of wild turkeys over Wyoming Avenue — I knew to grab my camera post-haste.

My initial thought was that I saw a beaver, though I couldn't believe it, as I'd never seen one in my 20+ years living in Maplewood. It had to be some other animal — a woodchuck, perhaps? Maybe a groundhog, or a funny-looking raccoon.

As I came within a few feet of the animal, it took off running. I observed a flat tail flopping around on my lawn as it sprinted, and was quite excited to confirm that it was indeed a beaver!

I snapped a few hurried shots, and am posting them here for other Maplewoodians to enjoy.