Our Solution: Coexistence

Beavers are widely misunderstood across Canada, with the reported stories of occasional flooding vastly outnumbering the stories about improving soil and water quality, preventing drought, as well as providing critical habitat to 50% of the world's threatened or endangered species. At APFA, we don't just talk about non-lethal alternatives for beavers, we implement them in municipalities across the country.

Our approach is focused around a set of principles that we call the 4 S's:

Success-oriented: While trappers and hunters will be satisfied as long as they can continue killing beavers, APFA is satisfied only when both the wildlife and the public benefit from a specific approach to wildlife management.

Solution-driven: While animal protection groups are often accused of 'complaining' by animal-use industries, our entire organization is solution-driven, interested only in the above-mentioned success for both animals and people.

Science-based: Business-as-usual is often what's recommended to municipalities confronted with beaver issues, despite the obvious scientific evidence showing how ineffective trapping/hunting, and dam destruction is. We provide critical information that shows lethal control measures simply create a vacuum in the environment, into which new beavers quickly move.

Sustainable: Rather than allowing a municipality to simply kill a 'nuisance' animal and their family, our efforts focus on helping them implement measures that strike at the root of the human-wildlife conflict. Implementing non-lethal devices and technologies not only strike at this root, they are truly sustainable in a multitude of ways. The devices themselves last a long time, they are an extremely cost-effective option for municipalities, and they protect beaver dams, which are so vital for the sustainability of our environment.

A bit about non-lethal devices and technologies for damming issues:

We have a program that offers our services to municipalities wishing to implement these devices/technologies, and are happy to lend our expertise to communities. To co-exist with beavers, several proven non-lethal and cost-effective devices are available such as the Beaver Deceivers™, Round Fence™, and Castor Master™ (developed by Skip Lisle), as well as the Beaver Stop®, Flexible Pond Leveller®, “Clemson Leveler”, and CulverClear™ (designed by Mike Callahan).

Photos above show various models of flow devices (left to right): "Castor Master™", "Beaver Deceivers™", and "Double Filter System". Models created by Sherri Tippie.

A bit about non-lethal devices and technologies for tree-chewing issues:

The simplest way to protect trees from beavers is to set free-standing cylinders of heavy gauge wire mesh (or galvanized welded wire) around each tree (2x2 or 3x3 is recommended). These materials can typically be found in any large hardware store, usually as fencing. The fencing will need to be about 4 feet high, with about 5-6 inches between the tree trunk and the mesh. Unlike groundhogs, beavers won't burrow under mesh fencing, so staking is not necessary, but you may still wish to pin guards to the ground around larger trees. Helpful hint: you may wish to mulch within the guard to prevent weeds from becoming an issue. For more detail on this, and different options for tree-chewing issues (paint and sand mixture, cylindrical cages), please click here.

Are these approaches effective? What about the cost?

In addition to being the humane choice, they are effective because they are the only approach that is long-term. These approaches strike at the root of the damming and chewing issues, and do so in a way that respects (and even works with) the beavers’ natural impulses. These devices also offer significant financial savings to municipalities, not only because they are built to last, but because lethal approaches carry with them the burden of repeatedly hiring trappers and/or paying to have dams destroyed.

Interested in a non-lethal approach for your beaver issues? Email:adrian@thefurbearers.com

Photo: APFA volunteers. (Special thanks to LUSH!)