Why are we killing beavers? Why is there on a bounty on their heads? Not because they're inherently evil or bad; simply because they inconvenience US.
Phil, as I've explained, beavers damage timber and cause massive flooding in areas that are not their natural habitat. Just because there happens to be water and timber where they decide to inhabit does not mean they belong there. Much as a rat does not belong in someone's home, but has moved in for the convenience of easy living.
Beavers are native to wetlands habitats, where their presence is very much an important and appreciated part of the eco system. They are not appreciated in a human developed habitat where they can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage in a short time, putting peoples lives, property and financial investments of crops and timber in jeopardy. No one is killing them when they move into a human habitat, because they are an "inconvenience", but rather because the human environment is at risk.
In our case we live right on a creek, and the banks depend on tree roots and native plants and free flowing water, that is not dammed up to hold the banks together,. If we allowed beavers to keep multiplying and to chew down the trees and build dams to overflow the banks, soon the banks would be eroded, and our home and property would be flooded. This is not a mere whim of wanting to kill animals, but a matter of survival in our home.
The argument that beavers were here first does not hold any credence with me, since all kinds of animals were everywhere before development pushed them out. If we were to abide by this argument, this country would still be undeveloped.
As it is now, development has pushed much wildlife to the fringes of and in some cases into human habitat. They are now losing fear of people and starting to come into the neighborhoods and cities. Wild turkeys are causing problems in Long Island with traffic, landscaping and aggressiveness. Coyotes and bob cats are terrorizing my friend's long developed neighborhood in Texas feasting on pets. Moose are roaming the streets of Montana, mountain lions are attacking people in neighborhoods in Southern Cal, coyotes and wild hogs are coming into neighborhoods in New Orleans, bears are raiding dumpsters in Colorado. Do we allow them to stay...where is the line to be drawn in the argument that they were there first?
BEAVER EXTINCTION LEADS TO MASSIVE FLOODING
No one is advocating beaver extinction. Beavers were once all but extinct, thanks to the fur trappers in the late 1800's who were furnishing beaver pelts to the fashion trade of wealthy city people. By the time beaver fur coats and hats fell out of fashion, beavers were all but extinct. They were totally extinct in Arkansas, but were re-introduced in the min 1900's and are now thriving.
They are prolific breeders and are now firmly established in their natural wetlands habitat throughout most of the United States and Canada.
Even if beavers were totally annihilated tomorrow, I doubt that mass flooding on a grand scale would occur because if man made flood control measures can't control it, a beaver dam just isn't going to cut it. In my small scale case, a beaver dam will cause it.
I'm sure they DO cause a lot of flooding, but somehow I just can't get over the simple fact that they were here a long, long time before we were, and there were no problems.
Of course there were no problems with them before the continent became inhabited, don't get this logic. All animals had free roam then, but progress, if that's what you want to call it took precedence over animals.
Eliminating an entire species, no matter the reason, is wrong. We don't have that kind of power over life and death, although we think we do
.
You've mentioned twice about
eliminating beavers. Beavers are not endangered animals, and who is advocating eliminating the entire species? Don't be overly dramatic.
Yes, like it or not, humans do have power over life or death when it comes to animals, and even their own species. If you are speaking of some esoteric power or philosophy, sorry, but I deal in the here now, not the ethereal hereafter .
Thankfully, most of us understand the powerful role that animals play on earth and humans have taken measures to preserve endangered species, from the smallest bug to the largest mammal.
I can't speak for Rkunsaw, but I take exception to the statements regarding elimination of a species if it is directed toward me because of what I believe. I have the right, and will exercise that right in protecting my home, habitat if you will, from any destructive force of nature, and that includes beast or human. On the other side of the coin, I will not harm an animal that merely causes me "inconvenience" , such as the 13 raccoons that I spent considerable time and effort relocating this spring.
So far in another thread, you have accused me of selling my soul to live rurally, because I shop at Walmart, and now from what I can ascertain, because I would kill a beaver to protect my property, I guess I'm to be included with whomever or whatever group you think is on a mission of total annihilation of the beaver population.
Man, I'm beginning to suck! I'll have to join the PC crowd and cry assault on my eroded self esteem.
Of course, you are entitled to your opinions and arguments, that you express so much more eloquently by written word than I, but I say don't judge until you have lived amongst them.
