On a recent autumn evening near Perth, Ontario, a group of wildlife photographers quietly pursued their subject on a river. Using an electric trolling motor for movement, the water remained calm as they moved upstream. Suddenly, a loud splash broke the silence as the creature they were after dove underwater after sensing their presence – the elusive white beaver.
Dennis Jackson, an Ottawa photographer with years of experience capturing wildlife, was taken aback by the rare sighting. Following a previous encounter with the white beaver during a boating trip with his neighbor, Jackson eagerly returned to the river accompanied by renowned Canadian naturalist Michael Runtz, his wife Britta Runtz, a professional photographer, and a CBC reporter.
Aside from hoping for another glimpse of the white beaver, Jackson aimed to solve a mystery: was this unique beaver an albino – a rare survival case as most albino animals have poor eyesight – or leucistic, a genetic condition causing partial pigmentation loss?
During their stakeout, the white beaver reappeared at dusk, but its reaction to the human presence made it uncertain if it would linger for observation.
As the photographers eagerly waited, the white beaver gracefully swam past their boat underwater, showcasing its pale tail before emerging near some reeds. The creature then came ashore to groom itself, revealing a dark patch on its front left paw and distinctly dark eyes. Runtz deduced, “With true albinism, you can’t produce any dark pigmentation, so the eyes are always pink, so I would say that’s a leucistic beaver.”
The retired Carleton University professor expressed delight at the sighting, marveling, “To see a totally white beaver with dark eyes and a dark foot, that’s incredible!” Moreover, they were able to capture photographic evidence of the encounter, adding to their excitement.
While color mutations can occur in beavers, lighter coats may make them more vulnerable to predators. The rarity of white beavers is highlighted by the Canadian Museum of Nature’s possession of a leucistic beaver pelt collected in Rainy River, Ontario, in 1918.
Dominique Fauteux, a mammalogy specialist and research scientist at the museum, noted that the scarcity of white beavers suggests the mutation has not been advantageous in evolutionary terms. Jackson, less concerned with the scientific implications, emphasized the sheer uniqueness of the experience, describing it as one of the most remarkable sights he has witnessed.
As he navigated the boat back home, Jackson reflected on the unforgettable encounter with the white beaver.