And Then I Read: PADDY by R.D. Lawrence

Published in 1977, this is a story of a baby beaver raised by a naturalist, but it’s not one of those stories about bringing a wild creature into someone’s home. Lawrence was doing a study of beavers in remote Ontario wilderness holding several ponds with beaver lodges on them. He camped there from early spring to late fall. Not long after arriving he found the remains of a female beaver eaten by a wolf, and from her condition, realized she must have been feeding young. Knowing her kits would soon die without help, he decides to intervene, braving the icy water to pull her single kit from her home lodge. Overcoming many difficulties including how to feed it and keep it safe, Lawrence raises the young beaver, who he names Paddy, and the experience changes both of them as they learn together how to make the situation work. Meanwhile, Lawrence carries on his research, discovering new things about the world of wild beavers and their behavior that had not been noted before.

I enjoyed this book. The writing is good, and Lawrence does not anthropomorphize his charge, he writes of his own anger and frustration with the young animal at times, but his care and concern are evident. Recommended to anyone who enjoys learning about wild animals.

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