The Red River is about to earn its name. The beavers living along the banks in Fargo, ND will soon be slaughtered for no good reason. We need your help to stop it.

On Tuesday, April 14, 2015, the Fargo Park District voted unanimously to approve the trapping and killing of beavers along the Red River. Why? Because residents have complained about normal beaver behavior, like taking down trees.

The park district, with the help of the US Department of Agriculture, plan on killing so many that their population can never rebound. Even worse is how they plan on killing them. One method will be to use land traps that snap the animal’s vertebrate. This leaves many animals to suffer until they die a slow painful death or are shot, as often the beavers aren’t killed instantly. The other method uses water traps that latch onto the beavers and hold them underwater until they drown. Neither option is humane.

The beavers of Fargo attract tourists and are key to the ecosystem. They do not deserve to be killed for doing what is in their nature. Join us in calling for the Fargo Park District to permanently halt the killing of the beavers.

Beavers are an integral part of the river’s ecosystem. They add to the experience of the parks near the river. Parks are designed to enrich peoples lives, and this is just another level of enrichment. We need to share this world with wildlife, even if it sometimes means some of our favorite trees are being used for beaver dams. The park district needs to consider other options like relocation, planting trees in alternative parts of the city that are free of beavers, or creating protection around young trees to deter beavers from chewing them.

Your signature could help save beavers from unnecessary deaths. There has to be a better way. Urge the Fargo Park District to find a solution that doesn’t require the killing of these animals.

#beaverbacker