City may harass Latham Park beavers
GREENSBORO — The fate of the Latham Park beavers remained undecided Monday as officials sought a way to evict them short of the death penalty.
The beavers built a dam on North Buffalo Creek near the park, where they are a problem for two reasons: They’re chewing up the park’s trees, and their dam could cause major erosion.
Nonlethal options include continually knocking down the dam until the beavers get the message and a more remote possibility that the Natural Science Center might make a home for them, said David Phlegar, city stormwater manager.
After the impasse was publicized this weekend, City Hall fielded calls Monday from people worried about the critters known for their work ethic.
“I’m hearing from people that say don’t kill them,” Phlegar said. “Nobody is going to call and say kill them.”
Ideally, Phlegar would like to hire a professional to trap the beavers alive and send them elsewhere in North Carolina.
But relocation is banned by law because the Tar Heel beaver population is burgeoning and the local colony could be just as unwelcome in a new setting.
Right now, Phlegar leans toward the harassment option, which a spokesman for the National Wildlife Federation said Monday is a humane way to give the beavers a hint to leave.
The science center is a distant possibility. Talks have just begun, but beavers are tough because they can escape easily and chew through steel mesh used reliably on larger primates, said center director Glenn Dobrogosz.
“It’s not easy, but we’d be open to it,” he said, estimating it could cost $200,000 for a display that is properly designed and sturdy enough.
Besides harassing them, the only nonlethal option is to beaverproof the park by wrapping all vulnerable trees up to 6-feet high in chicken wire or some other metal mesh, said naturalist David Mizejewski of the National Wildlife Federation.
“It’s really great, particularly at the municipal level, to see this level of dedication to finding a humane solution,” said Mizejewski, who co-hosted a wildlife show on the Animal Planet network that included an episode about beavers.
Relocation is not always humane, he said. Beavers might starve in a new location or be harmed by other members of their own species who see them as invaders, Mizejewski said.
There are several streams in town where beavers live without causing problems, Phlegar said. In those places, city crews just leave them alone, he said.
Contact Taft Wireback at 373-7100 or taft.wireback@news-record.com
Accompanying Photos
Photo Caption: Beavers have chewed through several tree trunks by Latham Park and near the Elm Street bridge
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