For the past several days, attentive passersby along the river have been able to catch sight of the new beaver in town. The semiaquatic rodent has been calmly moving around the riverbank, unbothered by the human activity around it, ETV's "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported.

"It was indeed pretty surprising to see it in the middle of the city — and it was pretty big, clearly well fed, and there were ducks right here, but it didn't pay them any mind," said Ain, a local resident.

"People were watching it and taking pictures," he added. "It was quite interesting to watch."

Zoologist Nikolai Laanetu says that beavers aren't seen in Central Tartu often, though they can be found in the outskirts of the city. He believes the beaver's arrival in town is likely related to either sudden changes in its living conditions or the presence of disruptive factors such as wolves or lynxes.

"Around Tartu, beavers are certainly troubled by lynxes, both in the Aardla polder and here on the Kvissentali floodplain," Laanetu acknowledged. "In fact, one lynx even lives between the buildings here."

The fact that this beaver has moved right into the city center, he continued, indicates that the lynx has now significantly disturbed the beaver colonies in Kvissentali.

"It's sitting by the edge of the ice here in town for days on end, and isn't looking for a place to return to anymore," he explained. "This suggests that something's up in its habitat."

Märt Holtsmann, a senior specialist at the Environmental Board's Nature Use Department, said that beavers typically shouldn't cause much trouble in the city, except when it comes to the city's urban landscaping — or perhaps someone's backyard apple trees.

Although beavers may appear calm and slow, Holtsmann reminded locals that they are nonetheless wild animals, and can behave unexpectedly.

"People need to make sure they don't get too close," he warned. "You should always keep your distance from wildlife."

One place the beaver could do more damage is at the nearby University of Tartu Botanical Garden. Laanetu still vividly remembers one from nearly 20 years ago that repeatedly tried to forage for food in the botanical garden.

"I caught that beaver once, and then took it as far away as possible," he recalled. "I thought I'd taken it to Tammistu ditch, but then two weeks later, it was back again. It took me by surprise when the same beaver squeezed back in under the gate again, and when I was told that I need to catch it again, the little guy must have finally come to his senses and he snuck off overnight."

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