Managing resources will mitigate need to manage beavers in Calgary park

There is no ‘magic number’ for how many animals of a certain species should be in a certain space. It is this kind of thinking that often leads to human interference – and ultimately, conflict.

City planners in Calgary are currently debating the best way to move forward with beavers in Prince’s Island Park – an area where beavers have been active.

“There is a bit of damage here…I mean the beavers have clearly been busy in this area,” Chris Manderson, a city spokesman, told Global News. “There are new areas the beavers are exploiting that they may not have in the past…what we do is keep on top of that with increased monitoring and wiring. I don’t know if there is a major number that I can say, ‘this size of park, this many beavers,’ I don’t know if it’s that easy.”

The City is already using wire fencing around trees to prevent beavers from felling them, and openly acknowledges the benefits the beavers have brought to the city – particularly after major floods. The addition of flow devices to prevent damming in key points of the park, as well as the increased monitoring and wiring that Manderson spoke of, will likely prevent conflict, as well as the need to “manage” the beaver populations. If there are no resources available, the animals will move on to more plentiful areas.

Living With Wildlife: Beavers

Though it seems Global News is more concerned with the beavers than the City is, it did provide an opportunity for discussion on the need for funding of co-existence measures – and the failings of lethal management or removal of wildlife.

These issues and others will be discussed at the next Living With Wildlife Webinar, hosted by The Fur-Bearers: Co-existing with Beavers for Municipalities. The online event takes place on Thursday, April 21 at 1 pm EST/10 am PST. Get details and register now by clicking here.


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Join The Fur-Bearers today and help us protect fur-bearing animals in the wild and confinement. To become a monthly donor (for as little as $10/month – the cost of two lattes) please click here and help us save lives today. Your donation is tax-deductible.

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Established in 1953, The Fur-Bearers is a charitable, non-partisan organization whose goals are to end the commercial fur trade and promote solutions for wildlife coexistence in communities. Your donation is tax-deductible. Charitable registration number: 130006125RR0002

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