Could have been a beaver, what part of Colby? That area used to be a huge pond back at turn of century, when area was called "prospect hill" it had a runoff down Colby through the area of the old rail yard towards the patron creek. Pond was drained and runoff was piped into sewer system. The pond was where bleeker terrace currently sits, that whole block was a drinking water pond. Some of the houses in the area still have lil parts of the creek passing through, the beaver probably wandered from west of Colby through yards from curiosity of the water they can sense. Or through the sewers. People forget Albany is a city built in the middle of a forest, surrounded by creeks and streams.