Hot dam! Beloved stuffed beaver returned to Chilliwack, B.C., park

It's a happy ending to a harrowing tail.

Justin Beaver, the beloved taxidermied beaver used to teach thousands of children about wetland ecology, has been returned after being taken from its home in the Cheam Lake Wetlands in Chilliwack. B.C.

Jennifer Kinneman, spokesperson for the Fraser Valley Regional District, said Justin was handed over to district staff Thursday morning in Agassiz.

She said because the district promised there would be no questions asked if the stuffed animal was returned, staff didn't question the man who brought it in.

"I understand he was found near the park," Kinneman said. "So whether this was an individual who found him or he knew his whereabouts, we're just glad that he's back and he's going to be ready to rejoin our interpretive program."

She said Justin was returned in fine condition and park staff are ecstatic to have the beaver back.

But the story gets better: a couple on Vancouver Island heard about Justin's story and decided to step up and donate a taxidermied beaver of their own to the district.

So this summer, Justin will have a friend: Sidney, named for the town the donor couple hails from.

Kinneman says the district will not pursue the circumstances of Justin's disappearance any further.

"I think this is the end of the story. It's got a pretty happy ending," she said. "We're looking forward to seeing how these beavers do in our interpretive programs this summer."