Aasta loom 2019

Posted by the Animal of the Year Team 13.04.2019
English translation Liis

That all kinds of animals like to lick salt is well known. Now the children saw that hares are no exception. In the trail camera of the Kiviõli children the hare (mountain or snow or white hare, Lepus timidus) even stands up to get at the salt cube on the pole. There is a glimpse of its black ear tips too.

Posted by the Animal of the Year Team 13.04.2019

Photo: Tarmo Mikussaar
English translation  Liis

In a dense population the tail will get some scars. 
 

The Esna beavers have felled birches in March 2019.
Photo: Ingmar Muusikus
Estonian text posted by the Animal of the Year Team
English translation Liis

Hundred meter long beaver dams occur rarely in Estonia. One such giant structure was built by the beaver group at the Esna springs. Evidently the dam, dividing the swampy spring area, was ready already in 2017. The hard-working creatures had unknown to themselves made an early symbolic gift for Estonia’s jubilee. By 2019 the landscape view had changed somewhat.

If the winter of this year should still continue it is certainly worthwhile to use  the opportunity to visit a beaver lodge  noted in summer – how different its surroundings look in winter! In his video  wildlife filmmaker and theriologist Remek Meel who has studied beavers for years  briefly also presents  a giant beaver lodge that looks truly mysterious in the wintery landscape. The present video is the first of a 10-part serial on beaver subjects that will introduce the activities of Eurasia’s largest rodent during the year.

Moving along beaver paths you may also meet other semi-aquatic animals. Most frequently the American mink can be seen.
Posted by the Animal of the Year Team 23.02.2019

Compared to the beaver the mink is a quite small creature. A nature observer novice  may even wonder whether they see an otter or a mink. The mink is small, body length stops at 30-47 cm, the otter is half as much longer than the mink – body length 60-90 centimetres. As always with semi-aquatic animals minks and otters move out of  water too, splashing at the verge of the ice or along the bank of a water body. You will see their respective tails then and determine whom you have to do with from that. The tail of the mink is beautiful and fluffy! The otter has a rather stick-like tail.

The beaver male and female set up a family with strong bonds and the union lasts if possible throughout life. If one partner perishes (the beaver is the prey of many predators and it should be remembered that it is also a quarry of hunters) a new partner is sometimes found, to carry on the species

Video: Tarmo Mikussaar

Drawing Leo Lätti
Estonian  text posted by the Animal of the Year Team 05.01.2019

Artist Leo Lätti has drawn a picture of the beaver, with a twig in its  paw – this twig has a great role this year – the beaver is a Builder!
 

Are you a faithful husband? - Yes!

Faithful to the very end? - Yes!

Do you like pottering about at home? - Yes! 

When you answered “Yes” to these questions to visitors at the exhibition ”Fathers and Sons ” at the Estonian  Museum of Natural History the answer was ”You are a beaver man!” A more home-focused male than the Beaver, the Animal of the Year 2019, cannot be found in nature!

Text in photo:
The Beaver Male