Multiple days a week Vancouver man George Perianu strolls through Vancouver’s Stanley Park on his lunch break. Recently the routine trip was shaken up by a unique encounter - and it wasn’t just the sun, despite its unlikely appearance.
Perianu was in Devonian Harbour Park, near the intersection of Denman and West Georgia Streets at the foot of Stanley Park, when a large beaver waddled across the path in front of him.
Perianu swiftly took out his phone and recorded the mammal, his fur soaked to his body following a recent dip, as he carefully made his way down the park’s concrete steps.
“I was so surprised to see him on the seawall crossing the path, he took his time making his way over and then ducked back into that small pond area,” Perianu said.
“It was totally unique. I’ve seen them in the water for years, but I’ve never seen them out in the open like that before, it’s crazy.”
Perianu said he watched the rodent for around ten minutes as it moved back and forth on the final step, teetering it’s forepaws over the edge as it struggled to build the confidence to descend.
The beaver looked “healthy and fine” and undisturbed by his presence, said Perianu, and eventually slithered back into the nearby Devonian Lagoon.
Perianu returned to the office with his beaver tale and said “everybody was excited” to view the video and hear about his unique wildlife encounter.
While a beaver out in the open in such a way might seem rare, according to the City of Vancouver, Canada’s largest rodent can often be found waddling the shores of Stanley Park in the springtime.
According to the city, those spotted wandering outside of their habitats will likely be adolescent beavers that have been kicked out of their home lakes in the Fraser River watershed, who have been forced to find new homes.
