Bronx River Beaver is the First in 200 Years
Restored Waterway is Now Healthy Habitat for Dam Building Mammal
Dec 23, 2008
This juvenile beaver (Castor canadensis), named Jose for the congressman who so strongly supported Bronx River recovery programs, first appeared in 2007 near the Bronx Zoo. After spending some time further upriver, he disappeared for several months. In December of 2008, Jose the Beaver’s reappearance and lodge building activities are cause for celebration in the Bronx.
The History of the Beaver in North America
Long revered by Native Americans as the animal who helped Great Spirit turn the earth into the land they lived on, the beaver’s collapse was the result of two forces. The first was trapping for the dense pelts which were turned into hats used as protection against the cold.
The second was in response to the beaver’s prodigious construction activities. In the push to drain wetlands and cultivate every available acre, beavers, whose dams created further wetlands were considered a pest.
The Restoration of the Bronx River
For years the Bronx River was considered an open sewer with everything from industrial waste to cars found in its waters. In 1974 efforts were begun to restore the river. Today the Bronx River Alliance, with strong support from Congressman Jose Serrano, for whom Jose the Beaver is named, runs a multifaceted program to maintain and improve the health of the river while encouraging the public to enjoy the greenbelt surrounding the 23 mile long river.
Jose, The Bronx’s First Beaver in 200 Years
When early reports of the presence of a beaver in the Bronx River came in, biologists were skeptical, assuming it was a muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), a species commonly seen in the area.
Once Jose was confirmed to be a beaver speculation began as to where he came from. It is most likely that he came downriver from Westchester County but with recent, unconfirmed sightings of a beaver on Long Island may mean that beavers from Connecticut or Gardiner’s Island in Long Island Sound are making their way into the city.
New Positive Attitude Toward Beavers and Wetlands
Today, with a better understanding of the valuable role that wetlands play in a healthy environment, the work of the beaver is viewed differently. Environmental organizations such as the Wildlife Conservation Society are working to educate the public on the importance of beavers and their dams in building healthy ecosystems.
Rather than being seen as the destructive pest of two centuries ago, the keystone role of the beaver in improving degraded stream habitat and creating new wetlands is recognized as an important contributor to increased biodiversity in plant and songbird populations along waterways.
On the Bronx River, Jose the beaver may play a role in the return of other species to this highly urban area.
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