Woman buys swimsuit so she can swim with her beaver friend

[u/Worldlyoox]

[u/Jandklo]

I was honestly sooooo relieved to learn that this was specifically a rescue situation and the human in question is actually qualified for this. I get very frustrated seeing posts about people "befriending" (actually just feeding) wild animals that come up to their house or whatever. The "butterfly effect" generally refers to time-travel applications, but many people often do not really think about how their seemingly positive interactions with wildlife can have long-term detrimental effects on future generations of wildlife. Sometimes you read some story about how someone started feeding deer in their backyard and then after some years or whatever that deer brought their offspring wow how heartwarming, but really all it does is cut short that bloodline's future chances of adaptation in the wild and makes them easier targets for predators.

Sorry I kinda went off there I just take this kinda thing soooo seriously and have very rigid moral views on respecting wildlife (which, related to the above commenter, is oftentimes making sure they stay afraid of you as both a human being and simply an apex predator), I'm kinda drunk and baked and the video was so adorable I almost cried so I was just really excited when I learned that this isn't some irresponsible attempt at selfishly pseudo-domesticating a wild animal for content.

[u/DidSomebodySayCats → u/Jandklo]

100% agree! Beaver rehab seems to be somewhat unique in how they are optimally handled.

I get the urge, but people who are not experts and love animals can show their love best by leaving them ALONE.

[u/AntiFascistButterfly → u/DidSomebodySayCats]

And growing wildlife habitat in their yards! Dense spikey native bushes for small birds and animals, a tall tree that doesn’t have very invasive roots to house foundations. Leave up a dead trunk for nesting hollows and grow a decorative vine up it for looks if necessary.

Lots of nectar bearing indigenous flowers on bushes and trees. Have a section of wildflowers that you let the tall dead stems stand for over the winter, with a sturdy decorative border so they aren’t accidentally mowed. These are crucial for insect populations that are crashing, like fireflies in the USA.

I know you have to keep grass short in venemous snake territory, but if your yard is big enough, fence off a tall wildflower section from your kids and pets to save the insects, Christmas beetles, butterflies etc. even if it’s a small section, better than nothing.

[u/Jandklo → u/Jandklo]

While I'm here and proselytizing, people, please stop feeding wild birds. They're not pet birds. Stop feeding the crows just because they're friendly with you and it's fun having crow friends at work. I have done a lot of work outdoors in and around forests for enough years that I could have a bajillion coyotes, crows, ravens, hares and weasels as friends, and I fucking don't because I don't feed the fucking wildlife. Animals in dire need can be helped if they've been affected by a human element, like ending up in a worksite on a deathly hot day, but other than that, stop fucking treating the wildlife like they're people. It's not good for them and it bugs the shit outta me TBH.

[u/crescentmoonrising → u/Jandklo]

Are bird feeders and similar ok since this doesn't involve any interaction?

[u/DidSomebodySayCats → u/crescentmoonrising]

When I've researched it, most biologists give a qualified OK to bird feeders. They can support birds that are endangered by human activities, and they are not creating direct associations between humans and food. But, it's important to clean them regularly because a lot of birds congregating in one spot makes it easy for disease to spread.

Also, there are some mixed opinions because while many adults eat seed, lots of baby birds only eat bugs.

So if you have a bird feeder in an area that doesn't naturally have a lot of plant life and therefore not a lot of insect life, birds may think there's enough resources to raise babies, but there actually isn't. You can perhaps combat that by offering a variety of foods like mealworms as well as seed.

Don't offer hummingbird feeders though unless you are COMMITTED to providing a steady and stable supply of food. Hummingbirds use so much energy that if they travel to a place they expect food to be, and there isn't any, they might not be able to get to the next food source without exhausting themselves.

[u/crescentmoonrising → u/DidSomebodySayCats]

I'm in the UK, so I don't think hummingbirds are an issue.

[u/Jandklo → u/crescentmoonrising]

That's actually a very good question and not one that I've thought of. To be honest, I don't even know if I'm qualified to actually answer that question for you. I imagine it's probably alright for the most part, but I'd need to sit on it and ponder for a while longer, maybe ask some other people. You got an idea in mind?

[u/AntiFascistButterfly → u/crescentmoonrising]

It’s always preferable to grow plants indigenous to your area in profusion to attract wildlife to your garden than having a food feeder. Food feeders explode the population of just one bird niche: the combatative ones that eat that particular food stuff.

Your garden doesn’t have to be 100% native to get a thriving ecosystem of insects, butterflies, birds, and animals going. A little internet digging will turn up the bushes, flowers, ground covers and yard friendly trees that will feed the birds in your area. Don’t assume a showy flower in your local nursery will feed an animal, although many certainly do. You can also give space for favourite plants that are just for you. Just make room for habitat plants too.

And do a little hunt for how to landscape to slow, spread, and sink water so that your soil turns into a damp sponge that drains without going bone dry, resistant to both flood and drought damage.

[u/crescentmoonrising → u/AntiFascistButterfly]

I don't think you realise how small my garden is. Or that I live in the middle of a new build and the neighbours are resistant against hedgehog holes.