CALGARY- Calls for the city to change its animal control methods are growing, after a beaver was caught in a body grip in a trap in Fish Creek Park.
Last month, park users were horrified to come across the animal struggling to free itself.
“There were still days after when I still felt so distraught, and I still have a vision in my mind of seeing that beaver,” remembers Linda Lelonde, who found the beaver. “Finding out that it was possibly chewing off its leg, it’s so disturbing that an animal was put in a position to do that.”
A petition has since been launched to get the city to end their trapping practices, which already has over six hundred names.
The city says the trap was set to stop the beaver from blocking a culvert and potentially flooding a foot path.
“It would be irresponsible for the City of Calgary to allow beaver activity to occur in areas where the safety of the public is put at risk, or there’s damage to public infrastructure,” explains James Borrow from Integrated Pest Management for the City of Calgary.
He adds they plan to review the case.
“We would always be interested in looking at how we would mitigate damage. As I said, this is part of an ongoing program that the city does in any case. We always look at our current practices and how we may improve.”
Councillor Diane Colley-Urquhart would also like to see an end to the practice, and plans to bring a motion before council in September.
-With files from Tracy Nagai
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