Last month, Arizona Game and Fish rescued a 45 pound beaver from Tempe Town Lake. The beaver was nursed back to health and on Thursday, finally released into the wild.
The beaver became an instant celebrity. Photos of the animal with his long claws and buck teeth were everywhere — then came the collective oohs and aahs.
After its rescue, the beaver spent several weeks recovering at the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center. The animal, which was given no name other than the “Tempe Town Lake Beaver,” was lethargic and sick and treated for a parasite.
Then came the big day. Amy Burnett is with Game and Fish.
"He peeked out, he stepped out and then he went back inside. So he looked around saw the paparazzi got a little scared went in, so we had to wait for him a little bit and then he waddled toward the water and went down stream and didn’t look back," Burnett said.
She said the beaver was released at a ranch in Wickenburg where they’ve taken other beavers before.
Game and Fish said beavers are native to the Phoenix area, though the animals typically stay away from urban areas like Tempe Town Lake.
However, with the restoration of some riparian areas, that could change.
