A WWII Tale of Parachuting Beavers

About this video

In 1948, Idaho faced a very unusual animal problem: beavers were taking over towns. The solution? One of the most bizarre and brilliant ideas in wildlife history. To protect these cute animals and restore balance, conservation officer Elmo Heter came up with a plan: parachute dozens of beavers into the remote backcountry using surplus WWII parachutes and wooden crates.What followed was a skydiving mission like no other. 76 beavers were dropped from the sky, led by one fearless test jumper named Geronimo. This true story isn't just a quirky moment in history; it's a story about creativity and the wild lengths humans will go to protect even the smallest, furriest members of the animal kingdom. Let's see how this archive footage shows us the kooky side of the 1940's for this history deep dive! #truestory #ww2 #wildlife #nature #greatbigstory #documentary #animals #cuteanimals #archive 00:00 - Meet the Beavers 00:28 - A Wildlife Problem 01:01 - The Big Idea: Parachuting Beavers 01:42 - Testing with Geronimo 02:47 - The Airdrop Mission 03:54 - A Legacy of Conservation Credits: Producer/Editor: Noah Throop Welcome to Great Big Story — Where the extraordinary hides in plain sight. From forgotten histories and unsung heroes to mind-blowing innovations and mesmerising cultures, We’re a global storytelling collective obsessed with the extraordinary tucked inside the everyday. Our producers are filmmakers, adventurers, and curious souls who believe a great story can change how you see the world. We publish new videos every week. Please join us in exploring a world of fascinating perspectives around history, culture, technology, food, real life stories, and beyond. Got a story idea for us? Send us an email at pitch [at] GreatBigStory [dot] com 📧 Get exclusive GBS items from our online store 🛒 👉 https://shop.greatbigstory.com/ SUBSCRIBE: https://buff.ly/41yqVHF NOTIFICATIONS: Make sure you enable the 🔔 to get notified about our latest video publishes. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greatbigstory Check us out on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@UCajXeitgFL-rb5-gXI-aG8Q Join us on Snapchat: https://story.snapchat.com/p/18450982-0867-49c9-b4ac-2a534d1c86aa Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greatbigstory Give us a shout on Twitter: https://twitter.com/greatbigstory Sign up to our newsletter: https://greatbigstory.com/signup/