In
1948, the Idaho Fish and Game Department hatched a scheme to relocate
beavers by airdropping them into “generally inaccessible wilderness”
areas. Before they could perform such a strange task, they had to test
their methods and equipment to determine the optimum dropping altitude.
Satisfactory
experiments with dummy weights having been completed, one old beaver,
whom we fondly named “Geronimo,” was dropped again and again on the
flying field. Each time he scrambled out of the box, someone was on hand
to pick him up. Poor fellow. He finally became resigned, and as soon as
we approached him, would crawl back into his box ready to go aloft
again. You may be sure that “Geronimo” had a priority reservation on the
first ship into the hinterland, and that three young females went with
him. Even there he stayed in the box for a long time after his harem was
busy inspecting the new surroundings. However, his colony was later
reported as very well established.
Read the rest of the story at Smithsonian's Air & Space magazine.
Here.
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