Chelmsford - Governor Maura Healey and First Lady Joanna Lydgate today visited Nibi the Beaver at Newhouse Wildlife Rescue. The visit comes one day after she announced that her administration had issued a permit to Newhouse Wildlife Rescue for Nibi remain at the rehabilitation facility and serve as an educational animal. While at the facility, the Governor also met baby possums, a baby fox, a skunk and a duck.

“Nibi is adorable! I sometimes saw beavers when I was growing up, but this was my first time seeing one up close. They are fascinating, industrious animals,” said Governor Healey. “We’re excited for people across Massachusetts and across the world to have the opportunity to learn about beavers and other wildlife, as well as the important work of rehabilitators, because of Nibi’s new role as an education beaver. I’m grateful for the hard work of our team at MassWildlife and Jane Newhouse of Newhouse Wildlife Rescue to reach this exciting solution for Nibi.”

“Nibi has captured millions of hearts, including ours. We loved meeting her and learning more about the important work of Newhouse Wildlife Rescue,” said First Lady Lydgate. “We can’t wait to watch Nibi shine in her new role.”

For the last two years, Nibi has been under the care of Newhouse Wildlife Rescue, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Wildlife rehabilitators care for sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife, and the ultimate goal is to provide necessary treatment for animals so they can be released back into the wild. In rare cases, a permit can be issued for the animal to be used in educational settings.

Beavers are common and abundant throughout Massachusetts. A keystone species, beavers play an important role in fostering biodiversity of our ecosystems. By damming rivers and streams and forming shallow ponds, beavers are vital for creating healthy wetlands that support a tremendous diversity of plants, bugs, and wildlife and store floodwaters during storms.  Beavers are North America’s largest native rodents, weighing between 35 and 80 pounds and reaching 2–3 feet in length as adults. Their thick fur, webbed hind feet, and a flat, leathery tail allow them to thrive in aquatic habitats. Beavers feed on a variety of aquatic plants and on twigs, leaves, roots, and bark of woody plants like aspen, birch, and willow. Adult beavers have very few predators and can live for 20 years or more. 

In almost all cases, it’s best to leave wildlife alone. If you determine that an animal needs intervention, you can contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for assistance. Wild animals are protected by law. It is illegal to take an animal from the wild to care for or to attempt to keep as a pet. If you think that an animal may be in need of intervention, learn what to do if you find a wild animal that may be sick or hurt and consider contacting a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for assistance.