Loyal Spouse and I headed up U.S.2 to the Jaquith Public Library in Marshfield last night to hear a talk by Vermont wildlife rescuer John Aberth, author of “Bringing Up Beaver: Two Orphaned Beaver Kits, Two Humans, and Our Journey Back to the Wild.” It was fascinating, and it raised some Vermont Political Points worth sharing.
The book tells the story of rescuing and raising two beaver kits, which is an incredibly demanding process and a two-year commitment because that’s how long it takes a beaver to reach maturity. (The image above is taken from the front cover of the book.)
Aberth shared his experiences, and spent a few minutes at the end talking about wildlife policy. He had a lot to say, much of which I had never heard before. He was sharply critical of trapping wild animals in general and beavers in particular. In the case of beavers, trapping is mostly employed to get rid of perceived nuisances — by property owners, town officials, and the Agency of Transportation. Long gone are the days when beaver pelts fueled the exploration of a continent; today, a pelt sells for only about $20.
The problem is not only the cruelty. It’s also the fact that beavers are actually beneficial to the environment. And in the vast majority of cases, trapping doesn’t work. All it does is open up prime beaver habitat for others to occupy; lather, rinse, repeat. Plus, there are proven ways to accommodate beavers and minimize conflict at a fraction of the cost of trapping, and trapping, and trapping again.
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The Vermont Political Observer. 