SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Many types of wildlife are known to wander the streets of Yellowknife - foxes, ptarmigan and even the occasional lynx or bear.

A young beaver spotted on Finlayson Drive on Thursday night attracted a following of onlookers. - photo courtesy of Dean Robertson

But now residents can check off the beaver as one of the animals to be spotted within city limits.

A young beaver was seen on Finlayson Drive on Thursday evening.

"It's something we don't see everyday," said Dean Robertson, who spotted the beaver taking a leisurely stroll down the street.

Dean said he has seen foxes and coyotes in his neighborhood but this was the first time he had seen a beaver.

"As beavers go it wasn't a super large one," said Myra Robertson, Dean's wife.

"(It was) a younger beaver looking for a new pond and got lost along the way."

Robertson and her family noticed the animal wandering down the street had already attracting a following.

"My husband and I looked out the window and there was a beaver wandering down the sidewalk," said Myra, who had heard that younger beaver leave the dam once they get older.

"Unfortunately he wandered too far."

Dean took pictures of the beaver while more people were gathering and she decided to call Municipal Enforcement and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

"It took a little while but the bylaw did show up," Dean said.

The couple said one man petted the beaver as it walked by him.

She said she wouldn't recommend it and by then bylaw officers were telling people to give the beaver some space.

To her, it was obvious the beaver was getting nervous because it was hissing at people.

"Well, they have big teeth," said Dean, who was hissed at by the animal when he was taking pictures of it.

"It didn't like me getting too close."

But by then Robertson noticed that it was past her children's bedtime so she brought them inside away from the commotion.

They didn't know whether or not the beaver had found a new pond.

What happened to the beaver remains unknown. When contacted by Yellowknifer, the Municipal Enforcement division said it didn't know what happened to the wandering animal. Officials with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources didn't return calls by press time.