ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WXYZ) — The City of Ann Arbor is facing backlash after confirming that beavers living in a creek at the city-owned Leslie Park Golf Course were euthanized, sparking disappointment from animal lovers and wildlife advocates.
Watch Sarah Michals' video report:
City officials say the beavers had been building a dam in a section of the creek that is part of the Washtenaw County Drain system, and that their activity posed a risk of flooding and property damage.
But some residents say more humane alternatives should have been explored.
“My initial response is they should have tried other things first,” said nearby resident Kelley Fawcett.
“They could have just relocated them. They didn’t have to kill them,” said Alex Craig.
“It’s really disappointing that that’s the direction the city went with it,” added Carrie Henderson.
Even at the golf course itself, evidence of past beaver activity remains, though no beavers are currently in sight.
“I feel like there could have been a more humane way of handling that,” said Lydia Tice. “Getting people in, and removing them (the beavers) and putting them somewhere better where they can actually thrive. Not just outright killing them.”
7 News Detroit reached out to Ann Arbor's Parks department for a better understanding of why the decision was made to kill the animals.
The Community Services Administrator for the city emailed back saying:
The MDNR does not issue permits to trap and relocate beavers. There were engineering options considered to allow the proper flow of water through the creek; however, at this time, none were determined to be the most viable solution. The City and Water Resource Commissioner are committed to continuing to investigate alternative solutions in the future.
Under Michigan DNR regulations, property owners are allowed to kill certain nuisance wildlife, including beavers, rabbits, and squirrels, if the animals are actively causing or threatening to cause damage.
While the DNR does not issue permits to trap and relocate beavers, the agency does provide prevention and control strategies here to help manage beaver populations and dam-related water flow.
Despite that, many residents feel the city’s actions were unnecessary.
“It just sounds like a more convenient option to kill them than to try and relocate them or preserve the wildlife here,” Craig said.
“I just think it’s kind of lazy of them to do that,” added Tice.
The Humane Society of Huron Valley also weighed in, posting on social media: “This has made a lot of folks sad, and certainly us, too. We are dedicated to nonviolent solutions whenever there are problems with wildlife.”
Some advocates are now calling for more public education and better policies around how wild animals are handled in urban spaces.
“I think more education, and more, potentially, rehabilitation for these animals, would be perfect,” said resident Hannah Wiles.
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