Wednesday, May 22, 2013
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Should Aggressive Lake Beavers Be Euthanized?Bad beaver behavior at the University Lake dog park has many pet parents concerned about close encounters.If you take your dog to the University Lake dog park you may have seen the signs warning about aggressive beavers. They were put up after half a dozen dogs were attacked in recent weeks. For the most part the attacks have taken place in the water near three beaver lodges on the south and east sides of the lake. Andrew Weare goes there almost every day with his dog and says he has seen several close encounters.
“I've seen some very close shaves of dogs getting out just in time when the beaver appeared just eight feet away,” says Weare. “Luckily it smacked its tail on the water which alerted the dog who safely got out, but that's not always going to be the case.”
And it isn’t just pets who’ve seen the beavers up close. Mona Widger was on the trail when she spotted the animals just off shore.
“The beaver was slapping its tail at the people walking by and then it made a little run to the shore at which time everybody was like ‘we're out of here!’” says Widger.
The beaver tales are definitely making dog owners wary. Many are thinking twice before they let their dogs swim or at least making sure there are no signs of beavers in the water.
Officials at the Department of Fish and Game say that’s a good idea this time of year because the beavers are defending their young .
“The beavers at University Lake aggressively defend their babies when the dogs enter the water and they've gotten proactive in their defense. They don't wait ‘til the dogs start harassing them,” says biologist Jessy Coltrane, “they don't want the dogs anywhere near the lodge.”
Coltrane says Fish and Game has no plans to relocate or even kill the beavers because the problem can be avoided if dog owners keep their pets out of the water near the lodges.
They also say the animals should become less aggressive in the weeks ahead when their young ones grow a little bigger.
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Lyra'sMom said on Wednesday, Jul 13 at 11:38 AM
I disagree. As tax payers, dog owners have every right to enjoy this dedicated park for off-leash dogs & their owners. I think it is reasonable to expect safety for all - dogs included. I am very conscious about where my dogs swim at the lake & do not encourage nor condone harassment of wildlife. I doubt I am in the minority here. The simple solution is to eradicate the beavers at the lake for the safety of all park visitors. There doesn't seem to be any hesitation to eradicate beavers & the lodges in other locations. Do we have to wait for a person to be injured by a beaver before something is done?
70635841Christine Zelinsky said on Tuesday, Jul 12 at 8:49 PM
Channel 11 broadcast an alert that University Lake has Giardiasis (6PM, 7/12/11). Good to know. For shame, though! University Lake beavers are harassed by dogs and getting aggressive. I was dismayed to see finger pointing towards beavers or any other animal by using a misnomer “Beaver Fever”. The clip seemed to show a swimming beaver, and did not mention that the disease can be treated and cured by safe water and avoiding feces. There was a small comment at the end I am sure people will miss.There seems to be a tendency in Anchorage to get rid of the wildlife instead of focusing on protecting it. Though the “dog park” concept may be a dog utopia, it is something the city may need to revisit. We keep our dog on a leash to monitor his behavior, but even we can get better. University Lake is suffering. We need to be good stewards and manage our pets and our environment. It is not the fault of the beaver or any other animal, it is a pet owner problem solved by parenting our pets.
70594876cheechako said on Friday, Jun 17 at 8:00 AM
Watch out for those ferocious beavers.
69191184RSmith said on Wednesday, Jun 15 at 6:44 PM
Not a cut and dry choice. If a dog is swimming in the water playing fetch and a Beaver comes up from below like an attack sub and rips into a Dog, then that is a problem in deed. There is no question here that owners don't use discretion when they let their dogs harass wild life, and I am sure their are those that do who do think it is rather funny. Perhaps it is just best for now to encourage off limits swimming areas for dogs, like a restricted human swimming area for a lake. There are one or two other lakes in the Anchorage area that are currently safer for your pet. Perhaps the Beaver will calm down by next year if this was encouraged. To the comment that a bear eating humans should not be put down is a bit silly. Eating people is a lot different then charge and defend. Bears have unique personalities like people do, an aggressive bear, with hostility towards humans that prefers to charge and bite is a definite problem, just like there is a certain percentage of humans that pose
69093171Meaghan Edwards said on Wednesday, Jun 15 at 6:01 PM
Absolutely not. People need to keep their pets away from wildlife. I see too many YouTube videos where people think it's cute or funny for their dogs or cats to harass wildlife.
69090302saberwardogs said on Wednesday, Jun 15 at 11:35 AM
No I would not even if a grizz had killed and eaten a person. you live in Alaska you live with wild animals and some times they will bit and even eat you if you do not like that then get out of Alaska.I live where grizz and black bears come in to my yard and if they do nothing they get a pass if they do something I kill them.some times you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you.
69066266Alaska said on Wednesday, Jun 15 at 9:06 AM
Well thats true to a point saberwardogs BUT I am sure you would feel a whole lot differently about that statement if a man eating bear was at your neighborhood park that you often stroll through. With that said I think they should be removed from the area and placed in another, but not euthanized.
69054624Anonymous said on Wednesday, Jun 15 at 8:57 AM
Absolutely not! The beavers are only protecting their home. I agree with saberwardogs...I recently moved here from So Calif and I love the wildlife and the nature tht you can only see in a cage where I came from.
69053844connie said on Wednesday, Jun 15 at 8:52 AM
@ saberwardogs...I couldn't agree more!!
69053399saberwardogs said on Wednesday, Jun 15 at 7:18 AM
No the dog owners should be fined for there dogs harrassing wild life.pucks moveing up to Alaska from the lower 48 and wanting everything just like it was from where they are moveing from. if you do not like the wildlife then get out of Alaska.
69043829Mike said on Wednesday, Jun 15 at 6:56 AM
For goodness sakes, these Beavers are only trying to protect their homes and living area. To kill them would be outragious. There would be no dogs if we killed each one that barked to protect their homes.
69041533tinajean10163 said on Tuesday, Jun 14 at 10:22 PM
I agree with fish and game the beaver have as much right to be there as the dogs we can't keep killing or removing wild life from their homes
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