By Olivia Lloyd
The Charlotte Observer
BARTLETT, Tenn. — A hospital received a Christmas morning surprise in the form of a wayward beaver, Tennessee police said.
The “huge” beaver was found hiding under a piano at the St. Francis Hospital lounge when officers found it, the Bartlett Police Department said in a news release.
The animal was “probably looking to nom nom a Christmas tree,” police said.
When officer Robb Read found the animal shortly before 7 a.m. at the hospital, he reached out and grabbed it, then put it in a large black cart, according to police.
The animal was safely relocated to an undisclosed location, police said.
“No beavers or officers were injured,” a spokesperson for the police department told McClatchy News.
Police said they don’t know exactly how the beaver made its way into the hospital, but the entrance doors are automatic.
People noticed that the beaver looked well-fed and said it was big enough it could have activated the automatic doors and strolled in.
Posters online speculated that the Christmas holiday brought it into the hospital that day.
Maybe the beaver was “looking for a room at the inn,” one person said on Facebook. Others said the animal was searching for Santa or some bark to chew on.
Although someone commented that the incident was “bizarre,” it’s not unusual for officers to respond to animal calls, the spokesperson said. They’ve dealt with calls about ducks, deer, goats and even a wallaby over the years.
“Nom nom nom piano legs,” police said.
The Memphis-area hospital shares the same name as St. Francis, the patron saint of animals.
Bartlett is about 12 miles northeast of Memphis.
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