Don't Look At These Cute Baby Beavers, They Will Steal Your Heart

The beaver is the second-largest rodent in the world (after the capybara). They are known for building dams, canals, and lodges (homes), and this feature plays an important role in maintaining local ecosystems. They help dry streams increase stream flows by storing run-off in the rainy season. Therefore, some people call them “nature’s engineers.” The U.S. government employed 600 beavers in the 1930s to stop soil erosion by streams in Oregon, which was very effective. It was estimated that each beaver completed work worth $300.

“Beaver dams restore wetlands, those ‘rainforests of the North’, rated as the land’s best life support system”, explains BWW. “Learning to coexist with beaver wetlands ensures that we continue to enjoy essential natural services, such as water cleansing. Nature’s engineers can help combat climate change too. That’s because their dams and wetlands hold water on the land, which decreases damage from both droughts and major floods–extreme weather events that are increasing with climate change. Plus, the lush plant life of marshy beaver wetlands absorbs much carbon dioxide, and draining these sites results in the release of carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas.”

But the best thing about beavers is how incredibly adorable their babies are. They may grow up into powerful workers, but with their little webbed feet, puffy fur coats, and tiny, flat tails, they start life as some of the cutest baby animals. So, we have collected the cutest pictures of baby beavers around. Scroll down to enjoy!

More info: beaversww.org | Wikipedia