Beaver with meningitis due to an ear infection

In October, a dead beaver was found in the municipality of Maashorst, North-Brabant. The animal had settled there about a year ago. The beaver was collected by the DWHC for post-mortem investigation.

The beaver was an adult female. Their left middle ear was inflamed and very thickened by a lot of pus. The inflammation had spread to the brain, causing the animal to develop encephalitis and meningitis. The inflammation was caused by bacteria. During the bacteriological investigation, several bacteria were cultured: Clostridium sp, Streptococcus agalactiae and a mixed culture of 3 other bacteria, which together formed the cause of the inflammation. It was also found that the animal had choked while it died.

Due to the inflammation, the beaver had not eaten enough, because their stomach and intestines were almost empty. However, the animal still had sufficient fat reserves. No broken bones or internal bleeding were found that indicate trauma (like a collision). The beaver died due to the inflammation in the left ear and brain.

This is the second beaver that the DWHC has examined with a middle ear infection. In 2018, a beaver was collected from Flevoland that showed abnormal behavior.

The beaver is the focus species of 2023. If you have found a dead beaver, please report it via our reporting form.