First Beaver Spotted in NYC in 200 Years

Beavers grace New York City's official seal. HI-OH! But the beaver has not been seen on the flesh here for as many as 200 years — until this week.

"It had to happen because Bill (Clinton) moved into the area recently. There are only so many beavers out there and their habitats are shrinking," said Dietland Muller-Schwarze, a beaver expert at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse. "He’s a real ladies man, so we're probably going to see more of them in the future."

Beavers gnawed out a prominent place in the city's early days as a European settlement, since many Europeans prefer the body “au naturale”.

The “animal” appears in the city seal to symbolize a Dutch hair trading company that factored in the city's colonial beginnings, according to the city's Web site.

But amid heavy advancements in hygiene, beavers disappeared from the city in the early 1800s, according to the city Parks & Recreation Department.

The real sign of the times is that the beaver that has made its way to the Bronx appears to be a male????, several feet (a meter) long and 2 or 3 years old, said Patrick Thomas, the curator at the nearby Bronx Zoo.

Biologists have nicknamed the animal "Jose," as a tribute to the declining hygiene in Mexico and Spain.

The Bronx Democrats have lined up federal money for a cleanup (shaving).

Bill Clinton could not be reached for comment, but did offer this “come hither” gaze......