Three hundred dollars! The news has finally come down from Princeton about the animal control officer who shot beavers in a public park and he has been handed two potential fines of 200 and 100 respectively. If he is found guilty he will be asked to pay all or some portion of them, but considering he has been gainfully employed all this time what are the odds?
Princeton Animal Control Officer Mark Johnson has been issued two summonses for the shooting of two beavers in Pettoranello Gardens in Community Park North in May without a valid permit.The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued the summonses on July 14 and they were filed with Princeton Township Municipal Court, said Lawrence Hajna, press officer for the department. Each count carries a fine of $100 to $200 upon conviction, he said.
Apparently the case was moved into a different venue because there was conflict with the local judge. I’m going to assume they were related by birth or marriage or possibly favors. Remember these beavers have been dead for three months now, and he’s been paid at his job all this time presumably busily shooting other wildlife.
I’m curious what the two fines were for exactly. I imagine the larger one was for killing without a permit…but the smaller? hmm…firing a gun in a public park? Anyway he shot a couple beavers at the time, brought indelibly bad press to his city, destroyed habitat for countless wildlife and fractured the public trust for years to come so that sure seems like a bargain to me.
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If you’re looking for some good cheer and actual animal husbandry, try Wildife Care Association in McClellan near Sacramento who just got in a baby beaver (I’m assuming for the usual reasons).
WCA is a non-profit organization that rescues, rehabiliates, and releases local wildlife. Every year, concerned citizens and other agencies bring us ~6,500 sick, orphaned, and injured wild animals. We provides medical services and care for these animals as they recover and/or grown up. Once the animals have recovered from their injuries or illness, or have grown up and learned to hunt and fend for themselves, they are released into the wild, giving them a second chance at life.
Our own Cheryl at Bird Rescue notes that the person who posted these pictures is married to their vet at so we’ll make sure they have all the information they need to get this little fellow started out in life. Enjoy the pictures and join the facebook page if you want to follow along.
