Most governors struggle with decisions about whether to commute the sentences of prisoners, but one governor was saddled with deciding the fate of a beaver. The question of whether a 2-year-old beaver named Nibi can stay with the rescuers she has known since she was a baby or must be released into the wild was resolved recently when Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey stepped in to protect Nibi. The state issued a permit to Newhouse Wildlife Rescue for Nibi to remain at the rehabilitation facility and serve as an educational animal. Nibi has been a hit on the rescue group’s social media since she was a baby, and posts about her possible release into the wild garnered thousands of comments. Before long, an online petition to save Nibi from being released received over 25,000 signatures. Jane Newhouse, the rescue group’s founder and president, said that after Nibi was found on the side of the road, they tried to reunite her with nearby beavers who could have been her parents but were unsuccessful. After that, attempts to get her to bond with other beavers also failed. Beavers usually leave their parents between the ages of 2 and 3, so it’s possible that over the next year or so Nibi will show more interest in wanting to be in the wild, but until that happens Newhouse wants to keep her safe. She said her fear was that a release would mean certain death for her beloved “diva” beaver, who doesn’t know how to live in the wild. Now, Gov. Healey has taken the pressure off the rescue group and they will monitor Nibi to see if she shows any desire to head for the wild in the future.
