This critter is dam’ lucky.
A “diva” beaver named Nibi will get to live out her days in the Massachusetts wildlife rescue she calls home — thanks to officials who stopped a plan to release her back into the wild, which her keepers feared would mean certain death.
The wily woodland creature’s plight gnawed at the heart strings of tens of thousands of people who signed an online petition protesting an order by the state wildlife agency to put Nibi back in the outdoors — even though she had spent her life with people and had no skills to survive.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey stepped in just as the fight over Nibi’s fate was about to head to court — and had the state issue a permit Thursday allowing the “diva” wood chopper to live at Newhouse Wildlife Rescue as an “educational” animal.
“Nibi has captured the hearts of many of our residents, mine included,” Healey said Thursday.
“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.”
An online petition to save Nibi from being released into the wild received over 25,000 signatures, catching the eyes of lawmakers across the state.
Nibi’s fate made it to the state courts before Governor Healey stepped in.
The darling beaver– who is beloved by any fans on social media– will stay in her home at the rescue center in Chelmsford, located northwest of Boston.
A hearing had been set for Friday in a case filed by the rescuers against MassWildlife, the state’s division of fisheries and wildlife, to stop the release.
Nibi’s rescuers at Newhouse Wildlife Rescue said on their Facebook page that they were “beyond grateful” for Healey’s decision.
“We all care about what is best for the beaver known as Nibi and all wild animals throughout our state,” Mark Tisa, director of MassWildlife, said in a statement Thursday. “We share the public’s passion for wildlife and invite everyone to learn more about beavers and their important place in our environment.”
Jane Newhouse, the rescue group’s founder and president, has said that after Nibi was found on the side of the road, they tried to reunite her with nearby beavers who could have been her parents but were unsuccessful.
After that, attempts to get her to bond with other beavers also didn’t work.
“She pretty much has full run of the place. Everybody on my team is in love with her,” she said.
Nibi has a large enclosure with a pool at the rescue operation, and will also wander in its yard and rehabilitation space, Newhouse said.
Newhouse said she feared a release would mean certain death for her beloved beaver, who has never experienced the rough and tough wild.
“It doesn’t give her much time… to figure out how to build a lodge for the first time, how to build dams for the first time, how to store all of her food before winter sets in,” she said.
Newhouse said that beavers usually leave their parents between the ages of 2 and 3, so it’s possible that over the next year Nibi will show more interest in wanting to be in the wild. But unless that happens, she wants to keep her safe.
With Post wires