A beaver was spotted casually strolling down a busy Toronto street

No matter where you are in Toronto, nature is never too far away. Wildlife frequently interacts with big city life thanks to a network of ravines, waterways, and that massive lake on our doorstep, making for not-so-rare encounters with the wild animals that long predate the urban environment.

In the latest case, an actual real-life beaver was spotted going for a casual stroll down Bloor Street West this week, like a normal human shopper going about their business.

The video, shared with blogTO by Julia Rose, was captured just east of High Park and its lush environment of ponds and waterways.

A beaver was spotted casually strolling along Toronto's Bloor Street West! - 📹 Juursini #Toronto #Beaver pic.twitter.com/1WU5pzHfl1

— blogTO (@blogTO) April 25, 2023

In the clip, the intrepid rodent can be seen ambling toward the entrance of a Subway restaurant, possibly drawn in by the spread of fresh veggies visible through the windows.

someone buy him a sub :)

— Talking Monkey (@TDotMonkey) April 25, 2023

A few commenters expressed concern over the beaver's wellbeing, and will hopefully be relieved to hear that Rose didn't just record the animal and leave.

Rose actually predicted such comments and explained to blogTO that she "walked [the animal] safely to High Park," where it is believed to have strayed from.

The person filming this video made sure to walk the beaver safely to High Park!🦫

— blogTO (@blogTO) April 25, 2023

This is far from the first case of a beaver wandering from the city's parks and ravines into the built environment, and sadly, it's unlikely to be the last.

In 2021, a beaver made headlines by taking part in the daily rat race, appearing to wait patiently at a TTC subway station.

@blogTO @TTChelps @CityNews @680NEWS @cityoftoronto This at the Grenview entrance of Royal York Station. pic.twitter.com/txPgJeK8Ou

— Jenn Abbott (@jennabbott65) March 25, 2021

Later that year, beavers and humans came into conflict when Metrolinx moved to drain a patch of land that posed a flooding risk for rail tracks, threatening to destroy a beaver habitat and triggering uproar from environmentalists.