City Of Salisbury & DNR Want To Kill City Park Beavers

You have to ask yourself, which came first, the Beaver or humans? Once you realize humans have invaded their land, is it right for the City of Salisbury to step in, trap these beautiful animals and kill them simply because the Beavers have taken down a few small trees?

While you debate those questions in your mind, know the facts that surround this situation/problem.

It was former Zoo Director Jim Rapp and DNR who decided to line the river by the Park with "Alder" trees. If they had done ANY research first they would know that the Alder tree is like chocolate candy to ANY Beaver. You can't blame the Beaver for wanting his/her candy, but Salisbury can and will.

Then keep in mind these Beavers are simply doing what they do best. We have invaded on their territory and the only answer, (in the City Park Committee) is to trap these Beavers and kill them. Mind you, they'll only get the Father and perhaps the Mother but it is very unlikely they will trap the two babies. You should also know that the babies will stay with their Parents until they are past 2 years old.

Trapping and killing the Parents will certainly kill the babies as well. So what is it with the Zoo that they want to put out 200 pounds of duck chow every day in feeders on the River so they can attract other wildlife to visit the Zoo, then they want to KILL all of the Geese that tend to NOT fly south every Winter because they have an ample supply of food all year round.

Of course your NOT hearing about the Beaver problem anywhere else in the Main Stream Media, much like many of the stories we bring to you here on Salisbury News. Mind you, perhaps after this story breaks they'll have the stones to mention it but somehow I doubt it.

So now we'll leave it to the Court of Public Opinion. Know this, the City Park Committee have already agreed to trap and kill these Beavers. Unless enough pressure is placed on them immediately, these animals will be killed.

Some Facts About Beavers...

Wildlife rehabilitators find beavers to be gentle, reasoning beings who enjoy playing practical jokes. An Indian word for "beaver-like" also means "affable." Adults may weigh over 40 pounds, and beavers mate for life during their third year. Both parents care for the kits (usually one to four) that are born in the spring. The youngsters normally stay with their parents for two years.

Beavers are both fascinating animals to watch and an important keystone species. Yet old attitudes die hard and some people may consider the mere presence of a beaver to be a problem. They may not be aware that these peaceful animals make good neighbors, and removing beavers often creates more problems than coexistance. 

Most beaver removals are done by kill-trappers, which creates another slew of problems, because no trap is entirely selective. Dogs are routinely killed in the Conibears commonly set for beavers, children can be injured, and rare species, such as Bald Eagles, have been victims. This device is difficult to open, unless you know the technique, and there've been lawsuits from families who've had to watch their beloved pet being crushed to death. Although the Conibear was originally designed for a "fast kill", a study done with experienced trappers showed that most beavers are not caught in the right position for a fast death.

Other studies have shown that drowning traps are not humane for beavers, because they can hold their breath for ten minutes or more. Snares have eviscerated victims, and even those with catches can injure beavers, or drown ones that become entangled in the wires. Any trap that holds an exposed animal leaves them vulnerable to predators and must be checked frequently. Live traps are preferred as the victim is protected from predators.
Live trapping is labor intensive, and should be done by a trained individual to ensure that an entire family is caught and then relocated unharmed (beavers can die rather easily from hyperthermia if left for hours in a cage-like trap during the daytime) in suitable habitat. If beavers must be removed from a site, often a news story will lead to landowners, who desire beavers and have the right habitat, coming forward.

Currently projects in the Southwest and Northwest are relocating beavers from damage sites, where they would be killed, to areas where they are needed to regulate water flowages.