NYC Beavers: We're Back, Baby

New York's official state animal isn't often seen in its biggest city. But a handful of them are now calling at least one borough home.

Beavers used to be a common sight, before being hunted to near extinction by European settlers. In the early 1900s, they were reintroduced upstate. In 2007, a pair was spotted on the Bronx River -- the first sighting in the city in two centuries.

"And more recently," says Richard Simon, the director of the New York City Parks Department's Wildlife Unit, "we have been finding beavers on Staten Island." 

Beavers are back, thanks in part to our healthier waterways. Prior to '07, beavers hadn't been seen in NYC in 200+ yrs!

It's their breeding season right now so they're busier than ever. If you see one, appreciate it from a distance; beavers give a dam about their personal space. pic.twitter.com/0JKkTBXUlE

— NYC Parks (@NYCParks) February 26, 2020

He says chewed trees and dams have been seen in a couple of places on the island. But good luck actually spotting the animals. "They are a little secretive and very nocturnal," he says. If  you do see one, give it some space — and report the sighting to Wildlife NYC, so that the city can get a better count.