Conservation officers say they’re following up on a lead in relation to the apparently senseless beating death of a beaver last week.
“We’d like to thank the public for coming forward with a number of reliable tips since the stories first appeared,” said conservation officer Aaron Koss-Young, who remained tight-lipped about the new information.
The animal’s carcass was found around 4 p.m. last Thursday, approximately 100 metres downstream from the fish hatchery, on the Riverdale side of the Millennium Trail near the big beaver lodge.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that the beaver was likely feeding in the area before someone hit it on the head several times, possibly with a log,” Environment Yukon spokesperson Nancy Campbell stated in a news release.
A necropsy on the beaver was completed on Monday, Koss-Young said, but results are not yet available.
It’s an offence under the Wildlife Act to kill a beaver without a permit and penalties can be as high as a $50,000 fine or a year in prison, or both.
The department is asking the public to be mindful when on the trail, given what happened.
Anyone with information about the beaver’s death, or any other unusual observations or human/wildlife conflicts, can call the TIPP line at 1-800-661-0525.
Contact Myles Dolphin at
myles@yukon-news.com