Free Republic

We're sorry in advance if we've just ruined your appetite. But, the rumors are true: There might be small amounts of beaver butt goo in some of our favorite gummy candies, ice creams, sodas and baked goods. Don't worry though, it's safe. For the past 80 years, we've been using the "brown slime" emitted from beavers as a way to add vanilla, strawberry and raspberry flavors to some of our favorite foods. How exactly does this work? Beavers emit the chemical compound castoreum from their castor sacs. The sacs are located under the animal's tail and are secreted when they...

A fat beaver stuck in a wrought-iron fence was rescued this week by a quick-thinking animal services officer. The adult beaver, still carrying excess fat from winter hibernation, was found stuck between two fence bars around noon Tuesday on a private property in Hamilton, city spokesperson Ann Lamanes said in a release. Officer Sarah Mombourquette used soap to free the beaver, which suffered some injuries. After resting at the city’s animal services shelter and snacking on some vegetables, the beaver is recovering at the Hobbitstee Wildlife Refuge in Jarvis, Ont., and is expected to eventually be released back into the...

Cpl. Yingling had a unique call for service when the suspect, pictured, was witnessed causing prop. Destruction at a store in Char. Hall. The “suspect attempted to flee the area,” as the sheriff’s office put it in a statement, but it was apprehended by animal control and released to an animal rehabilitator — hopefully not just to be released into the wild, but to be taught basic shopping etiquette.