Local governments are increasingly facing challenges from urban wildlife. As we expand into natural habitats—and restore green spaces and waterways—encounters with animals like deer, coyotes, and beavers are inevitable. What’s troubling is how often the response is reactive, violent, and uninformed. The recent killing of a family of beavers at Ann Arbor’s Leslie Park Golf Course is a case in point. Beavers are remarkably intelligent and ecologically vital—nature’s engineers. But when conflict arose, the only response was lethal removal – reportedly using gruesome Conibear traps that are illegal in Ann Arbor.. It was stated that there was a search for
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