Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 12/02) - The beaver which is believed to have called Niven Lake its home for at least a year was found dead by wildlife officers yesterday.

A person walking in the Niven Lake area informed Yellowknifer he had seen the beaver floating in the lake on Sunday.

Raymond Bourget, senior wildlife officer for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, was not aware the animal had died, but attended the scene to investigate.

"We went to check it and indeed there was a dead beaver there," he said.

Bourget said a biologist conducted a post-mortem exam on the animal's body and found bruising on the beaver's chest, head and back, indicating it had been struck in those areas.

The biologist was unable to determine how the injuries were sustained.

Bourget said the beaver could have been struck by a tree or could have been intentionally beaten.

"We couldn't guess how it happened and I wouldn't want to even start trying to hazard a guess.

The beaver had been dead for quite some time and "had a very strong odor to it," said Bourget.

As for water contamination, Bourget said there is always bacteria located in water where animals live and doesn't believe the beaver corpse added any additional contamination.

"As far as water quality goes even before the beaver was there we would never recommend that anyone swim in the water there," he said.

A beaver at Niven Lake caused some controversy at city hall last fall. The critter built a dam causing overflow onto the walking trail.

Area residents tried to open holes in the dam, but the industrious beaver repeatedly repaired it.

Then on Sept. 19 the city destroyed it and the beaver did not rebuild.