BALDWINSVILLE — Last Friday afternoon on Whispering Woods, a bus was dropping children off after school when it stopped and couldn’t move as a beaver was in the road. The children tried to move the beaver out of the way and he didn’t appear to be afraid. Julie Cooper came out to see what was going on, not knowing if the animals was a woodchuck or muskrat or what. She called her neighbor Pat Mawhinney out to help her decide what to do.

Mawhinney noted the animal was fairly small for a beaver, about 20 pounds. The beaver was just sitting, not moving or seemingly afraid and they were concerned the animal might be ill. Cooper called Kindred Kingdoms, a nonprofit not far from Phoenix that has been in business since about 1997. Jean and Len Soprano run the center, and used to take in almost any animals that was ill or injured. A few years ago they switched to rehabbing black bears and raptors. In addition, the Sopranos do talks about the rehabilitation for groups.

Still, the Sopranos told Mawhinney they would come right out.

When they arrived they determined the beaver was about 2 years old. They said beavers mate in the winter and they are giving birth around this time of winter. That is when the 2-year-old beavers must leave the lodge to make way for the newborn kits. This would be why the young beaver was wandering around the neighborhood.

The Sopranos used a net to catch the beaver to take back to their wildlife center and make sure it is fed well – beavers prefer poplar and aspen.

Apparently, it is illegal to move a beaver without a permit.