With millions of views around the world, a spread in National Geographic for Kids, and several televised appearances, Nibi the Beaver has made a splash for audiences across the globe. But now the 2-year-old beaver faces an uncertain future starting Tuesday morning.
Jane Newhouse says she rescued the one-pound newborn beaver on the side of the road in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, back in 2022. For the past two years, the beaver has lived at the Newhouse Wildlife Rescue in Chelmsford. She was the only orphaned beaver in New England for the five months after Nibi was rescued, which made it difficult for her to bond with other rodents.
The trouble for Newhouse started when she tried to apply with MassWildlife for Nibi to become an educational beaver. She was informed that not only was Nibi’s request revoked but that the 2-year-old beaver would need to be released back into the wild — a problem for Nibi who hasn’t got along with other Beavers in the past.
“I just heard back last week with the denial of my request and then an email saying that they’d be contacting me to release her soon,” said Newhouse. “[Nibi] has no idea she’s going to be picked up tomorrow and dropped off somewhere she’s never been.”
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When Nibi, a rescued beaver, got her room at a Mass. wildlife rescue to herself, she immediately started building a dam, perhaps to keep her roommate from being able to get back in.
MassWildlife tells NBC10 Boston that Newhouse was informed back in June that Nibi would need to be released saying, “Wild animals like this one belong in the wild, and releasing them back into their natural habitat enables them to lead fulfilling lives and contribute to the ecosystem.”
“It has been very frustrating to not be considered at all, to not feel like anything I have to say about a beaver I’ve known for two years matters at all,” said Newhouse.
Newhouse says she doesn’t want to keep Nibi in captivity but she’s worried releasing her so close to winter might be detrimental for the beaver’s health.
“I don’t like the idea of her being released now. It’s certainly she has less of a chance of surviving now than she would if she was released in April or May of next year,” said Newhouse.
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And while thousands of concerned citizens are making their voices heard with a petition on Change.org, Newhouse is exhausting all her options to make sure Nibi stays safe.
MassWildlife says they plan to pick up Nibi at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday and they plan to release the beaver into a remote area with abundant suitable habitat.
“I made a promise to this animal, a promise I don’t plan on going back on and if it means that this is the end of me and my permit gets pulled that’s fine,” said Newhouse.
Britten partnered with the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) to bring an ambitious public-facing installation to life, celebrating Boston’s role in the global excitement surrounding the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Massport envisioned a bold experiential marketing activation at Piers Park II in East Boston, centered around a Guinness World Record attempt for the world’s largest soccer ball. The nearly 50-foot structure needed to become a highly visible waterfront landmark while meeting strict engineering, safety, and verification requirements. The challenge extended far beyond fabrication. The installation needed to withstand unpredictable coastal conditions, operate safely in a public environment, and be completed on a fixed timeline tied to FIFA fan programming.
Massport needed an experienced event production partner capable of transforming a large-scale concept into a fully engineered, installed, and record-breaking experience. Britten served as the central event fabrication partner, managing production coordination, logistics, and on-site execution from concept through completion. Working alongside Massport and engineering partners, Britten helped translate the creative vision into a buildable solution capable of meeting Guinness World Records standards. Every detail, from material selection and structural integrity to panel alignment and inflation systems, required precision to support a nearly 50-foot inflatable structure.
After off-site fabrication, Britten coordinated transportation, staging, and installation at Piers Park II. The waterfront location introduced additional challenges, including wind exposure, tidal conditions, limited staging space, and public access. Britten oversaw anchoring systems, inflation sequencing, and installation operations to ensure the soccer ball was safely deployed and successfully verified. Through close collaboration with stakeholders, engineers, and Guinness World Records officials, Britten delivered a seamless execution where creative vision, engineering expertise, and experiential marketing came together.
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The completed installation achieved official Guinness World Records recognition as the world’s largest soccer ball, measuring approximately 47.9 feet in diameter. The record-breaking brand activation transformed Piers Park II into a must-visit destination along Boston’s waterfront, creating a memorable community experience connected to the FIFA World Cup. Visible across Boston Harbor and from approaching aircraft, the installation generated widespread attention and became a recognizable symbol of Boston’s tournament celebrations.
What are the Red Sox going to do with Patrick Sandoval?
The veteran left-hander has yet to appear in a big league game for the Red Sox, having missed his first season and a half with the organization while working his way back from Tommy John surgery. But after a deliberate ramp up throughout the spring and then an April setback Sandoval is now nearing a return to the big league roster.
Sandoval made the fifth start of his current rehab assignment Sunday for the WooSox, allowing one run over four innings on three hits, a walk and three strikeouts. He threw 60 pitches, a slight uptick from the 53 he threw over 3 1/3 innings his last time out on Tuesday.
Under MLB rules rehab assignments for a pitcher can last up to 30 days, which means there’s only enough time for Sandoval to make one more start before the Red Sox would have to either activate him or designate him for assignment. Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said Sandoval might make one more start in the minors, but he acknowledged a decision will have to be made soon.
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“There’s still room to get the count built up some more,” Tracy said. “He got to 60 today and there’s probably room for another one to get it further and then we have to have a conversation after that.”
The Red Sox likely won’t want to lose Sandoval, but how he fits in roster-wise is tricky. The Red Sox starting rotation has been on a roll recently, and the most likely candidate to be optioned is rookie left-hander Jake Bennett, who has pitched brilliantly since coming up to fill Brayan Bello’s spot.
Boston could also insert Sandoval into the bullpen, but the Red Sox are likely about to get fellow left-hander Jovani Moran back off the injured list, and long reliever Ryan Watson can’t be optioned as a Rule 5 pick without being DFA’d himself.
Tracy said those will be issues the Red Sox will have to sort out, but noted that these sorts of logjams often have a way of working themselves out.
“Having depth is a good thing and it’s been tested for us, we had depth when Brayan went down and you know he’s down there and he’s got a specific purpose and mind of trying to get it right, well we’re kind of out of starting depth,” Tracy said. “So getting Sandy helps us in that way, but what we’re going to do yet we haven’t gotten that deep into it but obviously it’s looming.”
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Extra innings
Left-hander Jovani Moran (left elbow inflammation) made his second rehab appearance for the WooSox on Sunday, retiring all six batters he faced on just 14 pitches over two perfect innings. Tracy said the club hasn’t decided if Moran will need another rehab outing before he’s activated. … Tracy said shortstop Trevor Story (sports hernia) is continuing to make progress but likely won’t start a rehab assignment before the All-Star break. … Right-hander Kutter Crawford (right wrist surgery recovery) is in the early stages of his throwing program in Fort Myers but remains a long way off from a return.
BOSTON (WHDH) – A 20-year-old man is dead, and an 81-year-old man will face criminal charges following a wrong-way crash on Interstate 93 in Boston late Saturday night, officials said.
Troopers responding to a reported multi-vehicle crash on Route 93 northbound before Exit 15A around 11:45 p.m. determined a driver in a 2004 Cadillac Escalade got on the highway in the wrong direction and nearly struck two vehicles — a Honda Odyssey and an Audi A4 — causing both to swerve and crash into each other, according to state police.
The occupants of the Honda Odyssey, a family of four, were transported to a Boston-area hospital for evaluation.
Shortly after the initial crash, the wrong-way driver, later identified as Antone Carvalho, of Somerset, collided head-on with a Chevrolet Cruze.
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The driver of the Chevrolet Cruze, a man in his 20s from Haverhill, died from his injuries. His name has not been released.
Carvalho will be issued a summons to appear in court at a later date.
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
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