Ambitious family of beaver. This is right beside Highway 39 just east of Drayton Valley, Alberta. I was riding by on my motorcycle on May 10, 2015 and stopped for a look. I parked the bike and hiked through the trees and even stood on top of the dam. I have noticed this site through the years, it is right beside the highway, but this is the first time I took a good serious look at it.
You can see where they stripped the bark off the tree.
Years ago I saw a guy with a table at a farmer's market. He had cut off sections of trees where beaver had chewed them down and mounted them on a base, the top part showing where the beaver had cut down the tree. He sold them as "Beaver Chews". He would have had no shortage of material at this pond.
Just off to the right of the dam is a large culvert running under the highway. Crews are constantly breaking up beaver dams because they interfere with roads.
I was standing on top of the dam when I took this. You can see a number of trees they cut down.
The highway is to the left. The trees that they fell took out the barb wire fence.
Beaver lodge in the foreground with another one behind it.
Busy little beavers, aren't they? Great pics!!
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