Angry Beaver Busted by Toms River Police in Easter Day Standoff

Angry Beaver Busted by Toms River Police in Easter Day Standoff

TOMS RIVER, N.J. — In a scene straight out of a woodland sitcom, Toms River police officers found themselves face‑to‑face with an unusually irate suspect on Easter Sunday — a full‑grown, bad‑tempered beaver reportedly “terrorizing residents” near a local neighborhood.

According to the Toms River PBA, officers were dispatched after multiple calls described a rogue beaver causing chaos. The furry fugitive was not in the mood for diplomacy. Witnesses say the animal was stomping around, showing its teeth, and generally behaving like someone who’d had one too many logs for breakfast.

Patrol officers eventually managed to wrangle the muscular rodent — no small feat considering adult beavers can exceed 60 pounds, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The beaver was safely loaded into a patrol vehicle (presumably after being read its Miranda Rights to Remain Chewy) and relocated to a nearby body of water where it could cool off and resume its normal dam‑building lifestyle.

The NJDEP notes that beavers, once nearly wiped out in New Jersey by the late 1800s, have made a strong comeback across the state — though they’re still uncommon in dense urban areas. Toms River, however, remains one of the waterways historically known for active beaver colonies.

Residents can rest easy knowing the situation ended without injury — unless you count the beaver’s pride.