Episode 39: Beavers With Parachutes

In one of the most delightfully unhinged chapters of American wildlife history, Idaho once parachuted live beavers into the wilderness. Yes, actual beavers. With parachutes.  In this mini episode, we dive into the true story of how post-WWII suburbia clashed with beaver behavior, the legend of Elmo Heter (Idaho Fish and Game's most chaotic genius), and how one brave rodent named Geronimo became the world's first skydiving beaver.  We laugh a lot, because it's truly absurd, but we also unpack the ecological brilliance behind these fluffy little ecosystem engineers and why we should all respect the beaver hustle.  Disclaimer: No, we don't condone throwing animals out of planes, parachute or not. This was a real program in the 1940s, and thankfully, wildlife relocation has come a long way since then.  If you or someone you know has had a brush with the paranormal and would like to have that story read on the podcast, please email it to [email protected]