I knew it would happen. I just knew if I worked and worked and waited and waited and advertised for beavers over and over again someday we’d see a beaver-believing article from Charlotte North Carolina. I knew it would happen. I just didn’t know it would happen last night.
South Charlotte Residents Upset With How Beaver Colony Is Being Handled
CHARLOTTE, NC – A group of residents in the Thornhill neighborhood in South Charlotte say the home owners association trapped and killed a family of beavers without seeking humane solutions.
The pond through the neighborhood is a central point of the Thornhill community. It’s where kids can play and people can walk. For the last several months; it’s also been home to a family of beavers.
“They do things for us. They clear the water. They reduce sediment,” said Angela Hynum. Hynum is a Thornhill resident and wildlife advocate.
In North Carolina! Home of the infamous Beaver Management Assistance Program. I can’t be any happier than I am to see this. I wish I could show you the clip that aired last night, But the link appears to be dead this morning. It’s soo familiar to all of Martinez.
“I feel like we need to make a place for nature and for our wildlife here,” said Hynum.
But the beavers are also causing trouble. According to Hynum, the HOA sent an email explaining the situation. Saying the beavers had chewed up nearby trees, caused an increase of debris in the pond that threatened the rock damn. And impacted trees on other people’s properties.
It’s illegal to relocate beavers in North Carolina. They’re considered a nuisance. So Hynum says the board made the decision to trap and kill them.
“We weren’t allowed to discuss the other options. We weren’t informed of it until the day it happened,” said Hynum.
It’s always a woman. Did you notice that? Some poor soul who bothers to wonder why beavers need to be killed hen they do so much good for the environment, then has her life forever changed. Ahem. Not to be ravidly sexist or anything.
Hynum took a video of a trapped and killed beaver being hauled off. She says the traps being used aren’t effective and can be considered inhumane.
“There are non lethal ways of managing the damage without killing the beavers. In other words, there are options to cohabitate with them,” explained Hynum.
She says they can break up beaver dams and wrap trees in chicken wire.
She’d like to see a wildlife committee established to handle future situations.
“When situations like this come up that they have a group of volunteers who are willing to do the work to find a humane, no lethal result,” said Hynum.
WCCB reached out to the Thornhill HOA for a comment and did not receive a response by the time this story was published.
Oh yes. I’m sure management is going to hide their head for half a moment. Although they will be out defending and justifying themselves if they have too. In the mean time I’m just going to bask in a happy moment where residents in Charlotte want to coexist with beavers.
