ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Beavers have become such a nuisance in a North Fulton neighborhood that the homeowners’ association is trapping and killing them, and that has some residents upset.
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“I don’t like it,” said Liliana Rodriguez, who lives in the Deer Lake subdivision of Alpharetta. “I don’t like the idea of killing animals.”
Some of her neighbors don’t like it either, lodging complaints on the neighborhood’s Facebook page.
“I’ve seen a lot of people say this is wrong. Why are we doing this?” said Daniel Walsh, a neighborhood resident. “We can’t just kill beavers just because they’re here. We should relocate them.”
All along the shore of the neighborhood’s centerpiece lake, beavers have gnawed away tree trunks, limbs and shrubs.
The Deer Lake HOA’s Board of Directors sent a letter to residents, saying it contacted more than 10 wildlife trappers in North Georgia, and none were willing or able to relocate beavers.
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It said under Georgia Department of Natural Resources rules, relocated beavers can only be released on private property if the property owner gives written permission. And because they’re considered nuisance animals, they’re not allowed to be released on state-owned property, including wildlife management areas and state parks.
“As a practical matter, no property owners or organizations were willing to accept relocated beavers, which made relocation unavailable as an option,” the letter said.
The HOA said the action is temporary and the traps will be out for a few more weeks.
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Clark Bond said there’s nothing cruel about this beaver control method.
“They’re the most humane way we can capture a beaver,” he said. “They’re gonna die in a natural condition, doing what they like, chomping on wood.”
However, he understands why some of his neighbors recoil at the thought of killing beavers.
“I think the idea of catching a nice furry animal and then having it reach its demise is a sad thing for a lot of people,” he said.