In case you missed Thursday’s Gazette…
On April 16th the Martinez City Council will consider whether to keep the beavers or relocate them. The subcommittee has completed their charter and submitted their report. Dogged pursuit of relocation has sometimes couched its self-interest in humane concern; “They’ll be better off at the reservation.” Of course, research tells us that this is untrue. Successful beaver relocation requires expert skill, specialized trapping and a close evaluation of the new habitat. In their 2006 article “Management by Assertion”, Longcore et al outlined the fate of thirteen relocated beavers thusly;
“Thirteen beavers were trapped live and removed one died struggling in a snare, and one was killed by a predator while held in a snare… Six beavers were confined in zoos or other captive display facilities (one beaver subsequently died in a fight resulting from inappropriately co-housing two males), four were relocated to a reserve in Texas, and three went to a movie production company. The trapping was complete by Spring 1999.[1]”
Beavers die and are injured in the process of being humanely trapped, die and sicken during quarantine, get separated from family members, and are often released into habitats that cannot sustain them. It is misleading to discuss relocation as if it were a routine or even beneficial procedure. It is the risky equivalent of kidney removal: It can work, and should happen in certain situations, but it is dangerous to the individual and should never be undertaken lightly.
Heidi Perryman, Ph.D.
[1] Longcore, T. Rich, C & Muller-Schwarze, D. (2006) Management by Assertion: Beavers and Songbirds at Lake Skinner (Riverside County, California) Journal of Environmental Management Sept 2006.
