Urban beavers North American beaver

beaver before being drowned trapper s snare in lincoln park, chicago 2008



after trapping, beaver lodge reappears in lincoln park, chicago, fall, 2009

after 200 years, lone beaver returned new york city in 2007, making home along bronx river, having spent time living @ bronx zoo , botanical gardens. though beaver pelts once important city s economy , pair of beavers appears on city s official seal , flag, beavers had not lived in new york city since 19th century, when trappers extirpated them state. return of josé , named after representative jose serrano bronx, has been seen evidence efforts restore river have been successful. in summer of 2010, second beaver named justin joined josé, doubling beaver population in new york city. in february 2013, appears both josé , justin caught on motion-sensitive cameras @ new york botanical garden.

in chicago, several beavers have returned , made home near lincoln park s north pond. lincoln park beaver has not been received chicago park district , lincoln park conservancy, concerned on damage trees in area. in march 2009, hired exterminator remove beaver family using live traps, , accidentally killed mother when got caught in snare , drowned. relocation costs $4,000–$4,500 per animal. scott garrow, district wildlife biologist illinois department of natural resources, opined relocating beavers may waste of time , beaver recolonizing north pond in lincoln park has been recorded in 1994, 2003, 2004, 2008, , 2009. of fall 2009, new beaver lodge has appeared on north pond s northwest bank.

outside san francisco, in downtown martinez, california, male , female beaver arrived in alhambra creek in 2006. martinez beavers built dam 30 feet wide , @ 1 time 6 feet high, , chewed through half willows , other creekside landscaping city planted part of $9.7 million 1999 flood-improvement project. when city council wanted remove beavers because of fears of flooding, local residents organized protect them, forming organization called worth dam . resolution included installation of flow device through beaver dam pond s water level not become excessive. protected, beavers have transformed alhambra creek trickle multiple dams , beaver ponds, in turn, led return of steelhead trout , river otter in 2008, , mink in 2009. martinez beavers originated sacramento-san joaquin river delta, once held largest concentration of beavers in north america.

in 1999, washington, dc s annual cherry blossom festival plagued family of beavers lived in tidal basin. offenders caught , removed, not before damaging 14 cherry trees, including of largest , oldest trees.