Verdun beaver trapping once again draws ire of animal rights group

Once again the borough of Verdun is dealing with an excess beaver population by trapping and killing them. And once again, animal rights groups are calling on the borough to stop.

For the second year in a row, Verdun is using traps to capture and kill beavers which are damaging the borough'strees.

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The beavers cause trees to fall over and pose a danger to residents, the borough claims.

But its strategy of setting up traps is considered unethical and ineffective by the Montreal SPCA.

"Last year they managed to trap and kill two beavers, which is obviously not all the beavers in the area," Anita Kapuscinska of the Montreal SPCA said.

"They also trapped a whole bunch of dogs and other animals so it's not an efficient system."

The year before, the borough only trapped one.

Kapuscinska says beavers cannot be relocated because of their highly territorial nature. The SPCA has suggested more humane and more cost-effective ways of dealing with the animals.

"Install wire fencing around the trees, around the large trees you don't want to be destroyed," Kapuscinska said.

The borough has agreed to meet with the SPCA in the new year but says it will continue to trap and kill beavers until then.