NY Beavers Are Back
Posted by: Loren Coleman on February 23rd, 2007
North American beavers have returned to New York City for the first time since the animals left the region about 200 years ago.Biologists said the beaver’s return to New York is a testament to both the adaptability of the animals and the success of the cleanup effort at the Bronx River, where the animal’s habitat was discovered, The New York Times reported Friday. Multiple beaver sightings were reported in fall 2006, but biologists said the reports were written off as native muskrats confused for the similarly-sized mammals. However, a group of biologists investigating the claims discovered evidence of a beaver settlement, including gnawed tree stumps and a 12-foot-wide mound of twigs and mud….Earth Times, Feb. 23, 2007
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
I think in the next few years we’ll see a lot more animals moving back into urban areas. Part of the reason they were driven out in the first place was that hunting and trapping was so prevalent up until the 20th Century. These days most urban residents wouldn’t shoot or eat random wildlife walking through their yards. The other factor, as mentioned in the article, is pollution. While I still think we need even more stringent environmental regulations, I’d say we’re doing so much better not having everyone dumping their waste into the rivers anymore.
I think more animals will move back into greenspaces, and really their only predator as they readapt to urban environments is the automobile.
Thanks Loren for the wildlife posts, even though they are not cryptids. We continue to see more and more instances of animals repopulating former haunts, from the beaver, eastern cougar, lynx, ivory-billed woodpecker, coyotes, wolves, etc. Many environmental groups like to continually report gloom and doom for the planet and wildlife. I think stories like the one above are more of a testament to the hard work of people and mankind making amends for past mistakes (along with certain animals adaptability). I remember seeing my first Canada goose when I was in my teens and was absolutely amazed. Now they’re as common as pigeons. Does more work need to be done? Sure. Are many animals in danger? Sure, but it’s exciting to see good news once in a while. The good news stories are out there if you look hard enough. It’s too bad they are under reported by the media to some extent. The earth is in better shape now then when I was born. I expect it to only get better in time.
The beaver came back to north central Iowa in the late 70s, early 80s. The county engaged in a program of dynamiting their dams from the drainage ditches (the area used to be marsh and bog, with some islands), and possibly trapping them, and now they are gone. The county regarded them (as they do trees) as nuisances.
The coyotes are back, Dad saw wolf at the end of a field one day – or a coyote the size of a Scots collie, and a mink chased a pheasant rooster through the dining room window a couple weeks ago – twice.
This is great news. Here in the UK we are seeing otters return to many of our rivers that had begun to get polluted, but now, thanks to conservationists, are becoming clean again.
In addition to natural dispersal, otters are also being reintroduced to many of their former haunts…
There is talk of reintroducing beavers and even wolves to the UK (both long extinct here)!
‘Pumas’ and other large cats are allegedly seen here in the wild, ‘quite often’ as I guess you will be aware. Most likely as a result of releases following the introduction of laws that outlawed the keeping of dangerous animals some years ago.
Nice site Loren, thanks.
Keith (Dorset, UK)
I predict that it won’t be too long before the return of beavers is not seen as a reason to celebrate. They can be awfully troublesome…
Mother Nature has a simply awe-inspiring ability to heal herself and all who dwell upon her.
We just have to be smart enough to make it possible, then to get the heck outta the way and let it happen.
Alton, it is our responsibility (as those who have overhunted and destroyed natural habitats) to make certain that the beavers have a place to be, just as we have made certain that there are places for eagles and alligators and others that we’ve been able to help recover. The reappearance of a species into areas formerly too polluted to support life will forever be a reason to celebrate.
I live on the edge of town in NW New Mexico. We have coyotes in the woods behind us, along with Raccoons and Bald Eagles. No beavers yet but they are abundant not far away. Any resurgence of wildlife is great news.
In west Baltimore Il castoro, the beaver, moved back in about five years ago. It’s been a pleasure to see them and I can’t wait until some young bucks move upstream in front of my house.
This is great… let the flooding begin!
Beavers are great ’till they gnaw down your favorite tree. One way to keep them from chewing up everything in sight is to supply cut brush to them and the will happily leave your shade trees alone.
I am surprised that they have just now made it to NYC, they have been along the Hudson for several years now, and along big rivers and tidal rivers like the Hudson they are content to have burrows under the banks or travel up creeks. They are amazing engineers.
Alton Higgins said:
“I predict that it won’t be too long before the return of beavers is not seen as a reason to celebrate. They can be awfully troublesome…”
Alton, this is already happening in southern West Virginia. About fifteen or twenty years ago, beavers began repopulating streams in southern West Virginia. Now there are several places where they are considered pests because their dams are threatening developed areas such as subdivisions.
I personally am glad that they are coming back. I think that with a little ingenuity, ways can be found to co-exist with them even in suburbia.