The blossomed love between beavers Billy and Bella of the Wildlands zoo in Emmen may yield a prize. The two have been nominated by children’s newspaper Kidsweek for the title Animal of the Year. “These two are so cute to see. They even kiss each other,” says Henrike van Gelder, editor-in-chief of Kidsweek.
Animals that have been nominated have achieved something special or have provided a striking news item. The award ceremony is held every year around Animal Day. “The beavers had our attention for a while,” explains Van Gelder. At the beginning of this year, the new beaver lodge in Wildlands remained closed, because the spark between the beaver pairs had not been lost. Van Gelder: “They fought each other out, so that was a big downer.”
A few months later, Billy came to Bella. Sparks flew when they were allowed to be together. “They are very much in love, a good match. We now have to wait for babies. We had hoped that they would already be there, but they will have to wait a while,” says Van Gelder.
In addition to the beavers, there are three other nominees. The acorn mouse, because this small rodent is the rarest mammal in the Netherlands. Dog Bram owes a nomination to saving four young pot-bellied pigs in the Kuinderbos in the Noordoostpolder. The ranger couldn’t get hold of them and therefore brought in dog Bram. He specializes in catching animals without hurting them. The fourth nominee is the special turtle Sorte. He has not one, but two heads and six legs. There are only a few of these in the entire world.
Voting is possible until October 3. The results will be announced on October 4. The winner will receive a check for 1,000 euros for an animal charity of their choice.