A young beaver explores an old beaver lodge near Ellensburg, Washington, US. Its family was moved as part of a program to trap nuisance beavers and relocate them to the headwaters of the Yakima River where biologists hope their dams will help restore water systems used by salmon and people.
Photograph: Manuel Valdes/AP
Apparently someone was so busy getting credit for saving beavers that no one bothered to get the WHOLE FAMILY. I know it’s hard knowing how many there are and not all beavers cooperate by climbing in the metal suitcases. But I assume that watching helps you get an idea of how many to catch. We certainly know how many beavers there are in Martinez, This youngster was left behind by mistake after the Rapture took away his family. No one came back for him and only the AP photographer cared enough to take the photo.Which was published on “This week in Wildlife in the Guardian“.
It’s Island of the Blue Dolphins for beavers. Do you think that will be in the Washington Post? I guess we should look on the bright side. When that yearling gets over the shock of abandonment he’ll probably start doing beaver things and then the property owner will kill him like he originally wanted to do. So he won’t be lonely any more at least.
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We need cheering up after that story. Here’s a fun headline from Canada picked up by the CBC. I’m glad the councillor is against beaver trapping. But my favorite part is the photo. Because thinking of a beaver swimming on its back makes me giggle.
Projet [sic] Montreal borough councillor Sterling Downey says he recently learnt the city of Verdun reintroduced trapping to kill or relocate beavers on Nuns’ Island.
He says it’s cruel and is calling on his borough to stop its contract with trappers.
He says a more ethical method needs to be used.
In past reports, Verdun officials said they were using trapping because beavers were destroying trees at an alarming rate and giving some residents headaches.
But some residents have also complained about them, particularly in 2008 after a dog was killed when it got stuck in a trap.
The SPCA says it wasn’t consulted before the trapping was introduced and has now offered Verdun officials other options, such as services from Fur Bearer Defenders, a non-profit with expertise in the subject.
It says trapping also has serious impacts on our ecosystem and it hopes Verdun will reconsider.
Verdun is just outside of Montreal in Canada and clearly our friends at Fur-bearer Defenders have made inroads there. I’m just going to sit and imagine coucillors opposed to trapping because its bad for the environment. And I think you should too.
I’ve been on vacation this week in Mendocino and the coastal lovely fogginess finally comes to an end today. So I spent yesterday making the annual movie of this year’s kit. Jon will never be able to listen to this song again, but I think you should enjoy! Do you realize this is the 20th kit we’ve had born in Martinez since we decided not to kill them?
And finally a big thank you to our musician friend GS from San Francisco who celebrated his mother’s well-lived life by making a generous donation to Worth A Dam with his inheritance. Thanks so much! And we’ll make sure we use it in the service of beavers!
