A motion-activated video camera captured more than a dozen bird and mammal species in northern Minnesota over a year-long span, offering a fascinating glimpse at the diversity of wildlife that a single beaver dam can bring forth.
Researchers from the Voyageurs Wolf Project installed the trail camera at a beaver dam near Lake Kabetogama, knowing that these sites are hotspots for both water-dwelling wildlife and land creatures who need access to drinking water. Over 15 species appeared in the footage between March 2019 and April 2020, the Duluth Tribune reported, including beavers, Canada geese, swans, raccoons, white-tailed deer, black bears, ducks, wolves, otters, red foxes, and more.
“We initially put the video up for a few months,” said head researcher Thomas Gable. “But after seeing all the wildlife activity in the first few months, I got the idea of leaving the camera out for an entire year to capture all the wildlife that crossed the dam.”
The team narrowed the extensive footage down to this six-minute video for public viewing, featuring some of the most memorable clips that the camera captured.
