Wildlife camera footage shows a beaver munching on a tree in in Salem’s Riverfront Park in mid-March 2022 (Courtesy/City of Salem)
Salem parks department staff removed two cottonwood trees in Riverfront Park after they sustained substantial damage from a hungry beaver in mid-March.
Wildlife camera footage captured in the wee hours of March 17 shows the animal near a cottonwood tree with substantial damage.
“This is a new occurrence at Riverfront, and we don’t know the reason why the beaver chose the park this time,” said Trevor Smith, parks department spokesman, in an email.
One of two cottonwood tree damaged by a beaver in Salem’s Riverfront Park in mid-March 2022 (Courtesy/City of Salem)
Smith said parks staff became aware of the beaver activity the weekend of March 14, which included chewing along the bank near the middle of the park.
Cottonwoods are regular food sources for beavers, who often eat the branches and use the material to build lodges.
Smith said parks staff determined the two girdled trees were too damaged to be saved and cut the trees down so the beaver could have easier access to the more succulent branches at the top.
“The cut down trees were left near the bank in the hopes that the beaver would be happy to munch on those and not go after any other trees. A third tree was damaged, but the team determined that it could be protected with a wire fence,” Smith said.
One of two cottonwood tree damaged by a beaver in Salem’s Riverfront Park in mid-March 2022 (Courtesy/City of Salem)
-Rachel Alexander
