Peckerwood Manor

It didn't seem like Aspen and Juniper would ever be the couple the Smithsonian Zoo hoped they would be. You see, Juniper is only one year old, and Aspen is the older gentleman with a broken heart. His former partner died and left him to fend for himself as a bachelor. His former wife wasn't all that loving or kind, so Aspen has never really known real monogamous beaver love. It said she tolerated him but was indifferent to his presence.  Enter the young cutie Juniper, who arrived just to make sure Aspen didn't perish from loneliness or too much time as a singleton. After a long period of time meeting between the mesh fence, the fence was lifted, and...Aspen, the cad, bit Juniper on her tail. Naughty boy, but we must forgive him. He has pent-up anger toward the girls because of his, let's face it, emotionally abusive former partner.  Back to the mesh between them and another introduction process that cat owners know well. Let them mark each other's territory and get ...

Here is the truth on the whole beaver butt goo in your vanilla flavoring that goes viral every few years. Yes, it's true that beavers secrete a substance called castoreum from sacs near their behinds, and it's been used in human products for over 2,000 years. But before you start picturing beavers lining up for a milking session, let's get real. The goo is incredibly rare and expensive, making it highly unlikely to end up in your ice cream or cookies. Plus, it's mostly used in niche foods and perfumes these days. The process of obtaining castoreum involves anesthetizing the beavers and "milking" their castor glands. Yeah, it's nasty. But don't worry; the chances of accidentally ingesting beaver castor excretions are slim to none. Instead, artificial vanilla flavoring typically comes from synthetic sources like vanillin, which is a cheaper and less labor-intensive alternative to harvesting vanilla beans or castoreum. So, while the Food and Drug Administ...