As flooding mounts following the potentially “catastrophic” destruction of a dam – for which Ukraine has blamed Russian forces – a beaver has been sighted in Kherson, cutting its way through the flood waters.
A video of the semi-aquatic animal was widely shared on Ukraine’s social media in a show of defiance after Putin’s forces carried out what many described as a “terrorist” act.
Known for their ability to build dams, beavers have been observed in the wild repairing man-made structures, leading some to believe the creature may have a lot of work to do once it reaches 30 feet high and 144 foot wide structures dam wants to repair.
However, many pointed out that the little fella may have been troubled by the bursting reservoir, as beavers are said to hate the sound of running water and have a natural instinct to clog it.
The rodent may also have lost its habitat, and both animals and humans may lose their homes after the wall of water was released — potentially affecting dozens of towns and villages.
Beavers can be seen on the streets of Kherson as floods begin in occupied Kherson and the Kherson region after the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station
A drone camera showed the extent of the flooding – water can be seen pouring over the top of the damaged dam
Hundreds of thousands of people could be affected by flooding and be forced to leave their homes
Ukraine’s Interior Ministry confirmed this morning that the Kakhovka Dam on the Dnieper River in the south of the country was damaged by an explosion and water began to flow through it.
The ministry ordered residents of ten villages on the right bank of the river and parts of the city of Kherson downstream to evacuate their homes.
Ukrainian authorities have already warned that the dam’s failure could release 18 million cubic meters (4.8 billion gallons) of water and flood Kherson and dozens of settlements home to hundreds of thousands of people.
After news of the major breach broke, videos emerged of animals struggling with the aftermath of the flooding.
Among them, the lone beaver was shown waddling along a deserted, water-filled roadside, with social media users pointing out the impact the senseless destruction is having on animals.
Other heartbreaking footage showed a soaked, shivering deer after the flooding taking shelter on a wooden plank.
Another video shows a dog neck-deep in water obscuring the floodplain in the background as far as the eye can see.
A rescuer wades through flood water to save the dog while the frightened pet trembles in fear.
Heartbreaking footage shows a soaked, shivering deer after the flood taking shelter on a wooden plank
The video shows a dog standing neck-deep in water, covering the flood plain in the background as far as the eye can see
He manages to lure the dog into his SUV, which incredibly managed to get through the rising tide and get the animal to safety.
Among the stranded animals, the beaver is perhaps one of the best-equipped animals to deal with the rising waters around the southern Ukrainian city, and the animals are no stranger to the threats posed by Putin’s troops.
Back in January, Ukraine’s defense ministry even credited the beavers in the country’s north with aiding the war effort and strengthening defenses against the Russian invasion.
The beaver’s dams kept the land on the Belarusian border swampy, they said, and deterred possible advances from Moscow’s neighboring state.
Recent developments in the bitter war have left vast tracts of southern land inundated, and Kiev and Moscow are starting a blame game over who blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station.
The Russian-held dam in southern Ukraine was partially destroyed by “multiple attacks,” Moscow-installed authorities claimed, while Ukraine said Putin’s forces were responsible.
On June 6, 2023, there was an explosion at the destroyed Kakhovka hydroelectric power station in the occupied Kherson region of Ukraine
A satellite image shows Nova Khakovka Damn in the Kherson region, Ukraine, June 5, 2023
“The goal of the terrorists is obvious: to create obstacles to the offensive actions of the armed forces,” said Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called a meeting of his National Security Council over Russia’s “war crime,” his chief of staff Andriy Yermak said.
Several villages were “completely or partially flooded” after damage to the dam and evacuations from the area have begun, a Ukrainian official said.
“Some 16,000 people are in the critical zone on the right bank of the Kherson region,” Kherson military administration chief Oleksandr Prokudin said on social media, adding that there had been floods in eight areas along the Dnipro River.