The History of Staten Island Beavers - New York State's Official Animal
Where did all the beavers go?
Before European civilization arrived in North America there were believed to be between 60-400 million beavers across the continent [1]. Beavers lived throughout North America from the Arctic tundra to Northern Mexico and are thought to have been found in every body of water in New England [2]. Unfortunately, Europeans of the time had a great desire for the thick, soft, and warm furs that beavers have and the castoreum the animals produce, and the animals were hunted to near extinction [2]. Historical records show that in the early 17th century some 10,000 beavers per year were hunted, trapped, and exported and by the mid 17th century around 80,000 beavers were taken every year from the Hudson Bay area [2,3]. Somewhere between 195-240 thousand square kilometres of wetland are estimated to have disappeared across North America after 1834 due to the near extinction of beavers [2]. Today, beaver populations are increasing across North America with population estimates ranging from 6-12 million and some have even started making their way back into Staten Island [2,4]!
Before European civilization arrived in North America there were believed to be between 60-400 million beavers across the continent [1]. Beavers lived throughout North America from the Arctic tundra to Northern Mexico and are thought to have been found in every body of water in New England [2]. Unfortunately, Europeans of the time had a great desire for the thick, soft, and warm furs that beavers have and the castoreum the animals produce, and the animals were hunted to near extinction [2]. Historical records show that in the early 17th century some 10,000 beavers per year were hunted, trapped, and exported and by the mid 17th century around 80,000 beavers were taken every year from the Hudson Bay area [2,3]. Somewhere between 195-240 thousand square kilometres of wetland are estimated to have disappeared across North America after 1834 due to the near extinction of beavers [2]. Today, beaver populations are increasing across North America with population estimates ranging from 6-12 million and some have even started making their way back into Staten Island [2,4]!
Beavers in Staten Island and the rest of NYC
After the colonization of Europeans in the Hudson Bay the beaver population in NYS fell from an estimated 60 million to almost zero [5]. Fortunately, programs in the early 1900s re-introduced beavers to the Adirondacks where they thrived [5] In 2007 the first beaver in NYC in over 200 years was spotted in the Bronx River and was promptly named Jose after Jose Serrano, the United States Representative from the Bronx who helped secure 15 million dollars used towards the cleanup of the river [6]. Jose the beaver quickly created a 12 food wide lodge near the Bronx Zoo and a few years later a second beaver, named Justin Beaver by poll, moved in too [6,7]. Since then beavers have been spotted in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and a known group have been confirmed in Staten Island! So far the beavers have setup shop in the Bluebelt are of Richmond Town [8]. This area provides the beavers with a safe and legally protected area of Staten Island, but some residents of the community are not happy with their presence, citing the damage caused to trees of the park and the flooding caused by the beaver dam [8]. NYC's DEP has attempted to breach the dam several times, but the beavers are able to plug the holes by the next day [8]. Luckily, removal or damage to beaver dams requires a permit and consultation with NYSDEC so residents cannot take matters into their own hands without facing repercussions (Beavers). Have you had a negative experience with beavers in Staten Island? Checkout the "Living with Beavers" page for solutions and methods to protect your property from beaver damage and ways the city or state can prevent flooding while allowing beavers to live with people!
After the colonization of Europeans in the Hudson Bay the beaver population in NYS fell from an estimated 60 million to almost zero [5]. Fortunately, programs in the early 1900s re-introduced beavers to the Adirondacks where they thrived [5] In 2007 the first beaver in NYC in over 200 years was spotted in the Bronx River and was promptly named Jose after Jose Serrano, the United States Representative from the Bronx who helped secure 15 million dollars used towards the cleanup of the river [6]. Jose the beaver quickly created a 12 food wide lodge near the Bronx Zoo and a few years later a second beaver, named Justin Beaver by poll, moved in too [6,7]. Since then beavers have been spotted in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and a known group have been confirmed in Staten Island! So far the beavers have setup shop in the Bluebelt are of Richmond Town [8]. This area provides the beavers with a safe and legally protected area of Staten Island, but some residents of the community are not happy with their presence, citing the damage caused to trees of the park and the flooding caused by the beaver dam [8]. NYC's DEP has attempted to breach the dam several times, but the beavers are able to plug the holes by the next day [8]. Luckily, removal or damage to beaver dams requires a permit and consultation with NYSDEC so residents cannot take matters into their own hands without facing repercussions (Beavers). Have you had a negative experience with beavers in Staten Island? Checkout the "Living with Beavers" page for solutions and methods to protect your property from beaver damage and ways the city or state can prevent flooding while allowing beavers to live with people!
References
1. Seton, E. T. 1929. Lives of game animals, Vol. 4, Part 2, Rodents, etc. Doubleday, Doran, Garden City, NY.
2. Naiman, R. J., Johnston, C. A., & Kelley, J. C. (1988). Alteration of North American Streams by Beaver. BioScience, 38(11), 753–762. doi: 10.2307/1310784
3. Hays, W. (1871). Notes on the Range of Some of the Animals in America at the Time of the Arrival of the White Men. The American Naturalist, 5(7), 387-392. Retrieved April 20, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/2447602
4. Gibson, P. P., & Olden, J. D. (2014). Ecology, management, and conservation implications of North American beaver(Castor canadensis)in dryland streams. Aquatic
Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 24(3), 391–409. doi: 10.1002/aqc.2432
5. Beavers. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www1.nyc.gov/site/wildlifenyc/animals/beavers.page
6. O'Connor, A. (2007, February 23). After 200 Years, a Beaver Is Back in New York City. The New York Times. Retrieved from After 200 Years, a Beaver Is Back in
New York City
7. Hynes, T. (n.d.). The Boogie Down Beavers of NYC’s Bronx River. Untapped New York. Retrieved from https://untappedcities.com/2016/07/08/the-boogie-down
beavers-of-nycs-bronx-river/
8. Woods, A. (2017, December 15). Beavers are wreaking havoc on this Staten Island creek. New York Post. Retrieved from https://nypost.com/2017/12/15/beavers
are-wreaking-havoc-on-this-staten-island-creek/
Picture References in Order of Use
Wildlife Conservation Society [2010]. Jose Beaver and Friend. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ycew93n3
Shikhman, Maya. [2015]. Busy Beavers of Richmond Creek Rebuild the Dam Overnight. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y744bp67
Somma-Hammel, Jan. [2017]. Busy Beavers of Richmond Creek Rebuild the Dam Overnight. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y744bp67
1. Seton, E. T. 1929. Lives of game animals, Vol. 4, Part 2, Rodents, etc. Doubleday, Doran, Garden City, NY.
2. Naiman, R. J., Johnston, C. A., & Kelley, J. C. (1988). Alteration of North American Streams by Beaver. BioScience, 38(11), 753–762. doi: 10.2307/1310784
3. Hays, W. (1871). Notes on the Range of Some of the Animals in America at the Time of the Arrival of the White Men. The American Naturalist, 5(7), 387-392. Retrieved April 20, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/2447602
4. Gibson, P. P., & Olden, J. D. (2014). Ecology, management, and conservation implications of North American beaver(Castor canadensis)in dryland streams. Aquatic
Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 24(3), 391–409. doi: 10.1002/aqc.2432
5. Beavers. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www1.nyc.gov/site/wildlifenyc/animals/beavers.page
6. O'Connor, A. (2007, February 23). After 200 Years, a Beaver Is Back in New York City. The New York Times. Retrieved from After 200 Years, a Beaver Is Back in
New York City
7. Hynes, T. (n.d.). The Boogie Down Beavers of NYC’s Bronx River. Untapped New York. Retrieved from https://untappedcities.com/2016/07/08/the-boogie-down
beavers-of-nycs-bronx-river/
8. Woods, A. (2017, December 15). Beavers are wreaking havoc on this Staten Island creek. New York Post. Retrieved from https://nypost.com/2017/12/15/beavers
are-wreaking-havoc-on-this-staten-island-creek/
Picture References in Order of Use
Wildlife Conservation Society [2010]. Jose Beaver and Friend. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ycew93n3
Shikhman, Maya. [2015]. Busy Beavers of Richmond Creek Rebuild the Dam Overnight. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y744bp67
Somma-Hammel, Jan. [2017]. Busy Beavers of Richmond Creek Rebuild the Dam Overnight. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/y744bp67