Beaver rescued from Lackawanna industrial fire area

New York State Troopers, working a traffic detail near the ongoing industrial fire in Lackawanna, conducted an unexpected rescue, Saturday night.

The troopers noticed a large animal walking near Rt. 5, along Smoke Creek. Once they got closer, the officers realized it was a large beaver that seemed to be in distress and possibly disorientated by the fire that had been burning for days.

The troopers were able to capture the beaver and took it to the SPCA Serving Erie County where it was cared for and then transferred to the Abbe-Freeland Animal Sanctuary in Angelica, NY. 

Now, the animal is in the hands of the Cornell Wildlife Center and will likely be released to the wild in the spring.