Conservationists in Cornwall, England, were surprised when camera traps filmed a beaver farting.
“The beaver breaking wind gave the team a good giggle in the office and has continued to do so ever since!” says Lauren Jasper, beaver officer at Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
The team were using cameras to monitor the beaver activity in the area, including swimming, grooming and feeding. “The most interesting thing was that we caught two beavers on camera together, confirming that we have a pair present on site,” says Jasper.
Although it seems funny to see (and hear) a beaver toot, the behaviour might serve an important purpose. “Beavers have a gland near their tail that they produce an oily substance called castoreum,” she says. “This can be used on scent mounds to mark their territory.”
By building dams, beavers change the environment in a way that helps other species, including otters, birds and dragonflies. "Nature is on its knees and beavers can help,” Cheryl Marriott, director of nature & people at Cornwall Wildlife Trust told BBC News.
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