SAANICH, B.C. — Connor Belanger and his mom Liz don’t need to look at pictures from their recent tubing trip to remember the sound they’ll never forget.

“A very strange, kind of high-pitched squeaking,” Liz Belanger said. “A sound that I’d never heard before.”

Liz was moving down the river too fast to see where it was coming from, but her son Connor was far enough behind her to spot something struggling in the rapids.

So, the 16-year-old paddled closer and reached out to help.

“It kind clawed its way up into my palm,” Connor said. “And then I scooped it up.”

It wasn’t until the animal was safely in his arms that Connor saw its tiny tail and realized he’d saved a baby beaver.

“It felt awesome,” Connor said with a smile. “And I felt super protective of it immediately.”

After it stoppe