Despite what you may have heard, Chapa the beaver is fine, city says

Wichita officials on Wednesday moved to calm local concerns about the health of Chapa the beaver, whose wandering ways a few years ago turned him into a local celebrity and landed him on this year’s Riverfest poster.

Local writer, gamer, artist and musician Esper Jared Hickey posted a photograph of Chapa on his Facebook page Tuesday, taken at the Kansas Wildlife Exhibit in Central Riverside Park the night before.

“He was desperately trying to claw and chew his way out of his cage, so much so that he was bleeding from his mouth,” Hickey wrote in the caption accompanying the photograph. “I’m not an activist or a political person, but it was unbearable to watch, so I have to say something. This animal hides all day because it doesn’t like humans gawking at it, then at night it injures itself in a frantic but futile attempt to escape from its prison.”

Hickey’s post prompted a number of responses, including one from a woman who wrote “Why does that zoo even still exist? It’s so cruel to the animals.”

But Stacey Hamm, director of marketing and development for Wichita Park and Recreation, said in an e-mail response to questions Wednesday that Chapa and his cage are in normal condition.

“Beavers are nocturnal rodents that are seldom active during the day,” Hamm said. “Chapa spends a lot of time in his den during the day. Beavers have different tooth enamel than people. Their front incisors are large and visible. The outer enamel of those teeth is much harder than ours and has a brownish color.”

Chapa receives all proper veterinary care, Hamm said, and “gets all he wants to eat.”

Staff weave and stack tree branches that Chapa labors to disassemble every night. What has changed recently, Hamm said, is that the waterfall at a small pond next to the exhibit has been turned on.

“Chapa hears the noise of rushing water and it makes him want to go dam it up,” she said.

The beaver was adopted by the exhibit after it was found injured and orphaned in 2012 in one of the muddy pools of Chisholm Creek Park.

Chapa gained fame two years ago when he broke out of his enclosure in Central Riverside Park and spent several days on the lam before he was spotted swimming in the Arkansas River. A couple of days later, he was discovered trying to dig his way back into his cage.

His escapades landed him on this year’s Riverfest poster.

This story was originally published May 10, 2017 at 4:32 PM with the headline "Despite what you may have heard, Chapa the beaver is fine, city says."