Today I am sharing a photo and video I took of a beaver while sitting on the fishing pier at Reeves Slough, which is located in the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. For the last couple of trips to this refuge, I have been photographing deer as they cross the slough (Patterning Whitetail Bucks | Insights for Wildlife Photographers).
Yesterday (Feb. 20, 2024), I was waiting and hoping to see the deer cross the slough again when I noticed plants moving through the water just after sunrise. It turned out to be a beaver taking the plants back to its lodge.
There are a few possible reasons why the beaver I saw was swimming with plants towards its lodge:
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Building or Repairing its Lodge: Beavers use large branches and woody debris to build and maintain their lodges. It’s likely the beaver in my video was transporting freshly cut plant material to use for construction or repairs on its lodge.
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Food Storage: Depending on the plant species, the beaver may have been storing the plants for future consumption. While beavers are primarily herbivores, they can eat both woody and non-woody plants, often relying more on the latter in summer months. Storing food underwater helps protect it from predators and harsh weather.