Funeral home employees stunned by unusual guest wandering into parking lot: 'She honestly seemed grateful to have been found'

Employees at a Michigan funeral home were shocked to discover a young beaver resting in the business's parking lot. 

As The Dodo detailed, the founder of Serenity's Place Wildlife Rehab, Kari Aspenleiter, headed over to the funeral home to check out the situation. When she arrived, she examined the beaver and gave her the name Spruce. 

Aspenleiter predicted Spruce had been born in the spring of 2025. Young beavers usually stay with their parents for two or more years before moving out on their own, so it was safe to say Spruce had somehow gotten separated from her mother. 

The examination showed she was underweight and dehydrated. She also had cuts on her tail and an infected eye, though none of her injuries were life-threatening. It was determined she could make a full recovery with just a little care. 

How Spruce made it to the parking lot remains a mystery. Aspenleiter noted that there were no nearby bodies of water.

"She honestly seemed grateful to have been found," Aspenleiter told The Dodo.

Animals play a vital role in their ecosystems, and beavers are no exception. In fact, they provide huge benefits. 

According to One Earth, their dams can slow waterway flow, creating a wetland upstream that supports a number of species.

Meanwhile, those dams encourage plant growth in riparian zones, and they act as a natural filtration system, improving water quality. The removal of even one beaver from its native habitat can have significant environmental consequences. 

That's why it's so important to protect them, and donating to conservation causes can help ensure they can continue to provide their vital ecosystem services safely. 

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While part of her story remains unknown, Spruce may have been moved from her natural environment by human activity. Beavers have been known to hitch rides on vehicles. Spruce also might have been searching for resources like food or shelter.

Regardless of how she ended up in the funeral home parking lot, Spruce is certainly making the best of the situation. 

A Facebook post on Serenity's Place Wildlife Rehab's page from November noted Spruce was transferred to another rehab facility, the only one in Michigan that has a full beaver habitat with an enclosed pond that has ongoing filtration.

She will stay there for at least two years while she finishes growing.

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