Whether a two-year-old beaver named Nibi gets to stay with the rescuers she has known since she was a baby or must be released into the wild as winter approaches in Massachusetts has ended up in court – and caused such an uproar that even the governor has weighed in.
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“To literally see people from around the world come together to protect this beaver is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen in my life,” said Adam Teper, a lawyer representing Nibi’s rescuers.
A judge on Tuesday said that for now, Nibi will be allowed to stay in her home at Newhouse Wildlife Rescue in Chelmsford, located northwest of Boston. A hearing has been set for Friday in the case the rescuers filed against MassWildlife, the state’s division of fisheries and wildlife, to stop the release.
Nibi has been a hit on the rescue group’s social media since she was a baby, and posts about her impending release garnered thousands of comments.
An online petition to save Nibi from being released has received more than 25,000 signatures, lawmakers have weighed in as well, and this week Governor Maura Healey pledged to make sure Nibi is protected.
Jane Newhouse, the rescue group’s founder and president, said 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 did not work.
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