Yesterday we bundled ourselves together at dawn and drove out to the Oakland Zoo for Jane Goodall’s ‘Roots and Shoots‘ International Day of Peace. We set up on the meadow with about ten other displays and children came by to learn something about beavers, draw on our unique flag and earn a stamp on their passport to peace. We were right near the primate habitat so there was a constant hoot of foolery, aggression and forgiveness right behind us. Always looking for new ways to teach beaver basics, I had a deck of cards made with wildlife photos from our pond. The children drew five cards and had to tell us which ones beavers and their dams helped.
I am pleased to say that three teens got the correct answer and said matter-of-factly, “They help all of them!” These teens all happened to be wild guides for the Zoo, which just goes to show that the program is working. Twice I had parents answer “They help them all except the salmon, right?” which, if you think about it, is a microcosm of what’s wrong with stream lore generally. This is the first time they’ve had this event there and it was smaller than they probably wished, but it was a great group of kids and parents and our flag is looking pretty remarkable. FRo again exceeded herself at pulling joyful artwork out of even the most art-averse child.
Cheryl stopped off in the morning before we went to snap this photo of one of our yearlings coming home across the secondary dam. Nicely done. She found out this a.m. that another photo will be in the 2012 Watershed Calendar for Contra Costa County. She was hard at work snapping photos yesterday too, and her friendly contacts got us and our gear a ride up the hill at the end of the day. Thanks Cheryl!
Looks the most respected nonprofit in the country (if not the world) has decided to join the beaver parade. Never mind about all the cities and conservation groups you gave cover to by saying that beaver kill the trees birds nest in and threaten habitat, we’ll welcome you back into the fold with NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
For you were lost, and now you are found.
And now for something completely unexpected, and delightfully unnecessary – If you don’t click play you will be the lesser for it, a mere shell of the person you might have become. Wish us well we’re off to the Zoo!
There’s a new “God Bless Trappers” article in today’s Augusta Chronicle out of Georgia. Fortunately the target Du Jour is alligators, but it does raise a question that has been much on my mind. How on earth do these species co-exist? Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida all boast a big enough beaver population that they go out of their way to kill them. But they also have plenty of ‘gator. Both species are semi aquatic neighbors who can hold their breath for more than 15 minutes. How can they possibly exist in the same area? It’s like having a serial killer in the middle of a playground.
“But it really has to be a good-sized alligator before it can take something the size of a beaver or a wild goose,” Parnell said. “They just aren’t the evil critter they’re made out to be. They really do a great job of cleaning up your pond.”
As always in times of question I turn to the experts. This is from Dietland Muller-Swarze’s chapter on predators that enjoy beaver.
Dietland Muller Swarze: Beaver Natural History of Wetlands Engineer
So during the summer – when there are tender kits to sample – the alligators move someplace deeper? In these southern states where there’s mostly droughts going on anyway in the summer? Permit me to doubt. Apparently its so much fun seeing if alligator eat beaver they get a grant to try it every few years. Here’s some earlier studies out of Mississippi.
Other approaches to beaver control have been or are currently under investigation. Among theseis evaluation of the American alligator [Alligator mississippiensis (Daudin)] as a potential predator. A preliminary study was initiated by the author in three fishing lakes near the Auburn University campus. Each lake contained one or more active beaver colonies and was stocked during thesummer of 1972 with an alligator at least seven feet in length. Observations were made to detectbeaver and alligator interaction. On one occasion a large alligator was observed to come half out of the water in an attempt to catch a beaver swimming on the surface. On another occasion, this same alligator was observed to have chased two beaver out of the water and onto the shore during mid day in July. The alligators were not known to have controlled the beavers in these ponds.
“Were not known to have controlled beavers in these ponds?” WTF does that mean? That’s one pretty passive tense for a research paper. All your grad students fell asleep at the same time and your not sure what happened to the beaver? You forgot to care? They were eaten but it wasn’t bloody enough to hold your attention? (Less you think I exaggerate, you are welcome to read the REST of the article where they experiment with painting guar gum trees with strychnine so that the beaver would be poisoned when they chew them.) And no I’m not kidding.
I, of course, should be pardoned for laughing aloud when I got to this part;
These studies were discontinued following reports from Florida of a human fatality and an increase in the number of reported alligator attacks on humans (Anon., 1975).
I guess its one thing to put a seven foot predator in a beaver pond to snack on the rodents, but its an entirely different thing when the nine-foot victor comes ashore looking for dessert. So the mystery of how beavers and alligators exist in the same space at the same time persists. The Lands Council Joe Cannon grew up in Florida so I thought he would at least be able to help me. Over dinner I asked him, “how do they do it?” He told me assuredly “They don’t”.
Except they do.
On the entire internet and all of youtube you will find zero pictures of these species side by side. You will find zero footage of alligator eating beaver and zero pictures of beaver swimming hurriedly away. I can’t understand it. I know alligators are active at night, at least during mating season, because I’ve heard them croaking away in the Everglades after the sun goes down. I know that beaver populations are still problematic in gator states because I’ve read article after article about how best to kill them in. How on earth does it happen that every single alligator hatched doesn’t eat every single beaver born?
Some where in the South is a hero who has stories or footage that would shed light on this mystery. Someone lives near a swamp with a beaver dam and has seen these animals side by side. I can only implore that they write me and let the rest of us know.
Beaver loyalist Lory Bruno has been in Tahoe this week, where our good friends from the Sierra Wildlife Coalition have spotted both a new beaver dam AND a new beaver kit! They toured the area on a sunny afternoon and I thought I’d share this. (Shhh, don’t tell our beavers they’d be SO JEALOUS!!!!!!!!)
Sierra Wildlife Coalition Visit new Tahoe Beaver Dam
In the mean time, while her sisters go to the ball, Cinderella has been slaving away sewing the new beaver flag that children will be asked to illustrate at Sunday’s Peace Day event at the Oakland Zoo. That’s right, our own FRogard Butler has volunteered to be the Besty Ross of Beavers and has created this eye catching emblem. Imagine it covered with creatures after the children get to populate it!
New Worth A Dam starter-flag by FRo
She made sure to add this mascot to give the piece heart. I can’t wait to see what it becomes.
Mom's tail
And after I sent Sherri’s epic article around yesterday Stan Pietrowski (the method behind the state of the beaver Madness-meaning a technical and announcing wonder) offered to help her put up a website and they’re talking domain names as we speak. Soon we may get to visit Sherri’s beaver relocating website, which will be cool. She wasn’t entirely comfortable with EVERYTHING printed in the Westwood article and I can understand why. I’m trying to decide whether its indiscretions were the fault of dazzled adoration or grimly unconscious sexism but it is still MOSTLY good for Sherri and good for beavers so I won’t complain.
Just show me the article that talks about Skip Lisle’s sex life and we’ll call it even.
Cheryl stopped off in the morning before we went to snap this photo of one of our yearlings coming home across the secondary dam. Nicely done. She found out this a.m. that another photo will be in the 2012 Watershed Calendar for Contra Costa County. She was hard at work snapping photos yesterday too, and her friendly contacts got us and our gear a ride up the hill at the end of the day. Thanks Cheryl!
Looks the most respected nonprofit in the country (if not the world) has decided to join the beaver parade. Never mind about all the cities and conservation groups you gave cover to by saying that beaver kill the trees birds nest in and threaten habitat, we’ll welcome you back into the fold with NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
