Lincoln Animal Control officers rescued a beaver in “rough condition” outside a liquor store on Saturday during frigid temperatures.
Manager Denise Bollwitt tells KLIN News they received a call from Lincoln Police around 5:15 p.m. that there was a beaver outside of Mum’s Liquor near 22nd and “O” Street.
“The officer went down there and noticed it wasn’t moving very well and was not in an area it should have been,” Bollwitt said. The officer picked up the beaver, snapped a photo, and transported it to the Nebraska Wildlife Rehab in Omaha for treatment. Bollwitt said the beaver wasn’t injured, but had visible ice crystals frozen to its fur. Temperatures at the time were around 2 degrees below zero.
“It looked like it was very cold. There was some ice hanging off of them,” she said, adding the beaver will likely be warmed up, have blood work done and be released.
How does a beaver end up frozen outside of a liquor store in central Lincoln? For Bollwitt, it is not the first time.
“They do live around here. We’ve picked up a few over the years. Antelope Creek is nearby the store. Sometimes they’ll come up from the creek, especially if they are sick or injured,” Bollwitt explained. “We have a lot of raccoons that use the sewer system. So it doesn’t surprise us that there was a beaver in town, at all.”
This beaver wasn’t the only wildlife found in Lincoln this weekend.
As detailed in Facebook group dedicated to lost pets in Lincoln, a young bobcat was found Friday night on the front porch of a home near NW 48th and “O” Street, according to the post. The resident reportedly kept the feline “safe, fed and warm” in their garage until Wildlife Rescue officials could pick it up the next morning.
The good samaritan updated the group Sunday with a message from Wildlife Rescue: “Your kitty is still eating well and slept hard overnight.”
Bollwitt referenced the incident, adding that Lincoln Animal Control was not involved in that incident. “That was strictly Game and Parks and Wildlife Rehab. While they were here getting the bobcat, they also picked up the beaver,” she said.
If you see unique wildlife in Lincoln city limits, Bollwitt says, “Do not approach it. Leave them alone.” In the case of wildlife appearing to be injured, residents are encouraged to contact animal control or wildlife rescue to come pick those animals up and get them proper aid. Or “leave it to the experts,” Bollwitt said.
Contact Lincoln Animal Control at 402-441-7900 and Nebraska Wildlife Rehab at (402) 234-2473.