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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Last Thursday, Miles Harris found a dead beaver beside its log-built home on Niven Lake. It had fallen victim to a trap set by the government in response to complaints from residents that the animals were cutting down trees in the area.

A resident along Niven Lake trail has erected a chicken wire fence along the line of their backyard, but it seems beavers have gotten past it and gnawed down trees on the property. Along the Niven Lake trail many trees in the backyards of homeowners have been gnawed down by beavers, and used to construct a large beaver lodge on Niven Lake. - James Rubec/NNSL photo

"I noticed just when I went for a walk at 5:30 p.m.," said Harris, a resident of the area. "This beaver was dead in this trap ... right beside its lodge."

Harris had previously seen a beaver in a live trap some weeks back and didn't think anyone could set traps within city limits.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, however, have been setting traps in the area for the past three weeks. The hope was to catch the beaver alive. An official with the department said it is allowed to trap within city limits to manage wildlife.

"We'd received complaints about the beavers doing damage to the trees on the trail, on the lots of residents," said Judy McLinton, manager of public affairs and communications for ENR. "We did trap one large beaver in a Conibear trap. It was killed."

A second young beaver was trapped alive and has been relocated, but McLinton said it likely won't survive into the winter.

Many trees close to the beaver lodge on the southwestern edge of Niven Lake have been cut down by the rodents and used to construct their lodge. McLinton said it wasn't only the trail being damaged, but people's properties.

The lodge, where the trap was set, is approximately 20 metres from homes, and the Niven Lake trail is one of the busiest trail systems in the city. Nicole Spencer, president of the NWT SPCA, said it was unfortunate both beavers couldn't have been relocated.

"This is horrible, but they're the experts," said Spencer. She said she found it distressing no one was notified there were Conibear traps laid in the middle of the city and said that the public should have been notified.

"Last year a dog got caught in a fox trap down in Old Town. It was trapped and couldn't get away and ended up dying. That was illegal. The government should have an obligation to let residents know about any trapping within the city. The beavers are one thing, but it could have been a family pet," Spencer said any traps – in water or on land within the city – are a danger to the pets.

McLinton said the fatal Conibear traps were used only because the department was have trouble capturing the animals.

"We wouldn't usually notify people about live trapping, but with Conibear traps we would notify the public. The problem is many of the traps were being sprung."

As of this week, trapping has ended on the Niven Lake Trail, and there are still beavers in Niven Lake.

-- with files from Galit Rodan

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