A beaver was spotted in New York City Wednesday for the first time on record since the early 1800s. Earlier this week the male beaver's twig and mud home, or "beaver lodge," was seen on the bank of the Bronx River, but no one had set eyes on the beaver himself until biologists from the Bronx Zoo videotaped it swimming in the river on Wednesday.

Beavers were common in the early days of New York City, but they disappeared over time, mostly due to trappers who were interested in their fur.

So what brings a beaver back to the city after all these years?

AP quotes Dietland Muller-Schwarze, a beaver expert from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, said, "It had to happen because beaver populations are expanding, and their habitats are shrinking. We're probably going to see more of them in the future."

Biologists think the beaver could have come from suburban Westchester County to the north, but it's just speculation.

"It is surprising, even for us - and our business is wildlife conservation," said ecologist Sanderson, according to ABC News. "We're not sure where its source population is, but it's nowhere nearby. It made quite a journey to get here."

"And I think one sort of take-home point is that nature often does things that are surprising to us, if we give it half a chance to come back."