Possible Tool Use by Beavers, Castor canadensis, in a Northern Ontario Watershed

Abstract

At a remote active Beaver (Castor canadensis) dam site in the Chapleau Crown Game Preserve of northern Ontario, I noted an instance where a Beaver had used a willow stem as a prop to allow it to cut other willow stems at an unrealistic height. The use of this tool (prop) meant less land foraging that in turn reduced the risk of predation and prevented undue thermal stress. This is the first account in the literature of a Beaver possibly using a tool to aid in foraging.