While on routine duty in New Jersey last week, Evesham Township Police officer Ian Traver spotted something that made him stop — not knowing at the time that it would be the highlight of his shift.
“I was patrolling a residential neighborhood at approximately 4 a.m., luckily driving very slow, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement from the curb,” Traver told The Dodo.
At first, Traver thought he’d seen a skunk, so he reversed his patrol car to avoid being sprayed.
But this was no skunk.
As Traver looked on, the mysteriously fluffy figure stepped off the curb and began crossing the crosswalk — lugging a large object as it did so.
“I quickly noticed it was significantly bigger than a skunk, and dragging a branch,” Traver said. “I’m an animal lover, particularly of wildlife, so once I shone my light on him, I knew it was a beaver immediately.”
At that dark hour, most of the world was asleep in bed. But Traver was on the job, and sure enough, the beaver was too, in his own beaver way.
“I was quite excited to witness him hard at work,” Traver said. “The fact that he was crossing the street at the crosswalk was the cherry on top. It definitely made my encounter that much more memorable!”
Beavers, being primarily nocturnal, are most active at night. What Traver had witnessed was most likely one such animal collecting material to build a dam in the nearby woods.
In the end, Traver and the beaver went their separate ways. The thrill of that encounter, however, stuck with the officer.
“Working night shift definitely comes with its interesting experiences and observations,” Traver said. “But crossing paths with the beaver at the perfect moment definitely made my night.”
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