Quick Take
- Maple earned a very specific job title at Oregon Zoo, and that title says a lot about what beavers actually do all day. Meet Maple at the zoo →
- On camera, Maple pulled off a feat that seems physically impossible for an animal her size. See Maple's camera antics →
- North American beavers came shockingly close to vanishing entirely, and the story of what brought them back is worth knowing. Discover the near-extinction story →
- Turning 10 is a bigger milestone for a beaver than you might expect, and Maple's odds say more about her life in captivity than her birthday cake does. Explore beaver lifespan in captivity →
Maple, the beaver, has just turned 10 years old, and you can see how she spent her special day on May 5 in this heart-warming YouTube clip. The video was shared by the Oregon Zoo, where Maple lives. Let’s find out more about this lovely lady.
Maple at the Oregon Zoo
Affectionately known as The Branch (and Carrot) Manager, Maple joined the Oregon Zoo in March 2020 as a three-year-old beaver. She lives at the zoo’s Cascade Stream and Pond habitat and settled in very quickly.
Her first task was to keep Filbert company, as he was the sole beaver at the zoo at the time. Beavers are social animals and are happier when they have companionship. Together, the pair has acquired thousands of fans on social media channels. They spend their time chewing on wood to keep their large, powerful teeth worn down. Many of their antics are captured on camera. In 2021, Maple was filmed diving into a pond and emerging with a branch nearly four times her size!
How Long Do American Beavers Typically Live?
North American beavers (Castor canadensis) are found throughout all of North America except for the northern regions of Canada and the deserts of the southern United States and Mexico. They were hunted and trapped so intensively in the 1800s that by about 1900, they had almost disappeared from many of their original habitats. In the last 100 years, thanks to re-establishment programs and hunting regulations, beavers have made a very successful comeback.
Beavers were once hunted intensively.
©Frank Fichtmueller/Shutterstock.com
Under favorable conditions, the average lifespan of a beaver in the wild is 10 to 20 years. Adult beavers are quite large; they can weigh up to 70 pounds. This size is enough to deter most predators, but wolves and coyotes still pose a threat. Young beavers are more vulnerable and can be hunted by bears, wolverines, lynx, and otters. Parasites and disease can also cause beaver deaths. Hopefully, Maple will have many more birthdays to celebrate.
