Remember the Lithuanian city of Riga whose beavers were elegantly removing trees from the Opera house?
Baltic Beavers!
Beavers have felled several trees in the heart of the capital of Latvia, by the Canal, Riga City Council’s Riga Gardens and Parks Director Agnis Kalnkazins (People’s Party) informed LETA.
Is this a “dog bites man story” or what? “Beavers fell trees! News at 11″. Soon to be followed by: “Enthusiastic Dog returns stick again and again!” “Rare pirate squirrel buries nut treasure in yard” and “Feline windpipe obstruction revealed to be hair cluster!”
LETA observed today that beavers have torn down one tree in front of the Latvian National Opera, by the Alfreds Kalnins Monument; another nearby tree has been seriously damaged.
A bystander tree was wounded in the crossfire, but escaped with minor injuries.
Kalnkazins points out that battling beavers is difficult due to the fact that hunting them is prohibited and there are no resources for wrapping wire gauze around the trees to protect them.
Did that just say there are no resources for wire? Just how poor is this country? We are talking about a memorial and an Opera House. How can there be a country in which people have enough money erect a memorial and see opera but not enough to buy wire? Maybe we should start a collection? Invite Bono? Live-Wire Aid?
Well apparently they didn’t read the website because the city needs some answers, STAT! They are patiently delaying beaver killing by three months to give the townsfolk time to suggest solutions to the vaguely described intolerable problems. If a remedy can be found, their beaverish lives will be saved. If not, no one will then blame them for using the final solution. Remember this is the country that was host to the 5th International Beaver Symposium this year. I cannot imagine that ample solutions have not been offered.
But because some members of the committee did not want to be associated with killing the animals, the panel decided to launch a competition for ideas on how to deal with the beavers.“If by the autumn a better way is found to deal with the situation than catching these beavers and putting them down, then that could be done,” Diena quoted Riga city official Askolds Klavins as telling the committee.
I don’t mean to startle you, but brace yourselves. Sadly, this is obviously a pretend competition. Riga already knew the solutions earlier when they were quoted as saying they didn’t have money for wire. The beaver symposium was held at Vytuatas Manus University a short three hour drive from Riga. I have personally written the city about painting with sand (less costly than wire!) and they know very well what to do. The public-opinion-phobic committee is simply waiting until autumn to give them cover for the beaver killing they originally decided to do back in January.
Nice wrapping, Riga. Too bad you can’t invest as much attention in your watershed.
If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year.
Do you suppose,” the Walrus said,
“That they could get it clear?”
“I doubt it,” said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.
