Beaver to trees: drop dead.
You can’t see the forest for the teeth behind the North Vancouver Tennis Centre at Lloyd Avenue, as beavers have left the area looking like a discount Christmas tree lot.
“It looks like he’s been a pretty busy guy over Christmas,” said North Vancouver resident Lillian Salchner.
Besides going back to their roots, the beavers also seem to have been constructing a dam in the middle of the creek.
Salchner brought the issue to the attention of the District of North Vancouver when she noticed a particularly precarious-looking, beaver-nibbled tree perched over the nearby trail in October.
“I was concerned that wind might knock it down,” she explained. “It’s quite a busy little trail for the four-legged ones and the two-legged people.”
Salchner contacted the district who dispatched workers to clear the damaged tree. However, when it comes to the habitat, the district’s philosophy has been to leave it to beavers.
“I just thought that the district would be a little more proactive,” Salchner said.
A few trees close to the creek have been wrapped in wire mesh to prevent them from becoming a chew toy for semi-aquatic rodents. The district also removed a well-gnawed tree from the area over the holidays, according to district spokeswoman Stephanie Smiley.
Anyone concerned about leaning trees anywhere in the district is advised to contact the municipality at infoweb@dnv.org or, if it’s after business hours, residents can call the district’s emergency line at 604-990-3666.
