Kathlean Wolf
Wild Warner

In 2017, two beavers claimed Warner Pond as their territory, raising several litters of kittens and shaping the ecology of the pond. Sadly, the mating pair died in 2021, with no evidence in 2022 that any offspring remained behind. But it’s likely that a new male will take an interest in this empty territory within a few years of vacancy, possibly this spring.

To tell the story of our first officially sanctioned family of Warner Park beavers, I’ll tell you about their deaths, as well as their lives. Some readers will find this to be distressing; read on at your own discretion.

In the winter of 2016, a beaver dam across the outflow between Warner Pond and Lake Mendota created a major flooding hazard. The City of Madison’s Engineering Division followed the standard procedure to that point: heavy machinery removed the dam, and a trapper was contracted to eliminate the beavers that caused the flood hazard. One of the traps was discovered by a member of the community, who took the trap out of the pond (unaware that this is a crime), and alerted the community to the attempt to kill off the beavers.

Social values change over time, and the historical norm that had informed the Engineering Division’s policies up to that point had changed. Beavers have come into focus in recent years as important eco-engineers, and the history of trappers nearly driving them to extinction by the mid-1800s has become a defining example of the poor stewardship of the past.

To help address these concerns, Wild Warner invited members of the city government, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and community members to a meeting to discuss the status of beavers in our area. Following the meeting, the city responded to the community’s stated values; in 2017, a new beaver family arrived, and they were allowed to establish a home unopposed.

In 2019, the scouts of BSA Troops 127 and 7127 installed fencing around some of our most precious trees — river birch, sycamore, oak, and others — to protect them from being felled by beavers. Even without access to these large trees, a long-lasting colony of beavers can maintain a rich habitat in the pond, thinning out cattails and willow stands to allow for new growth and providing underwater hiding places for small fish and baby turtles.

In April of 2020, I spent several warm evenings sitting on a precarious patch of cattail mat at the edge of the pond opposite the beaver lodge. I waited patiently, camera in hand, for one of the beavers to appear. In twilight, the male emerged from the underwater entrance to the den, and climbed up on a log to survey the world above. Though alert, he seemed to me to be laid back, secure in his territorial claim.

Eventually, the female beaver joined her mate. She was more cautious, reluctant to leave the safety of the water as she breakfasted on cottonwood branches they’d stored in the mud at the edge of the cattails.

In the spring of 2021, a friend called to say there was a dead beaver in the dog park. I rushed over to retrieve her body, and took her to a more secluded area to examine. She had been healing from a bite wound on her shoulder, perhaps from an otter or coyote. Bruises in her muscles suggested a dog might have come to the park that morning and “played” with her. She was pregnant with a single kit. I donated the baby’s body to the UW Zoological Society.

I was contacted again when the male of the pair was found along the shore, killed in a tragic accident. The University of Wisconsin’s Urban Canid Project had set out several restraint traps, looking for the presence of foxes in Warner Park.

These traps are not designed to kill, and foxes, raccoons and coyotes will lay down and remain quiet when they realize they’re caught. Checked at least daily, the traps allow researchers to radio-collar or tag animals, then release them unharmed. But instead of the intended fox, a trap closed on the male beaver. Caught out of water, it panicked in a way foxes or raccoons would not. I’m sad about how he died — fear, exhaustion, perhaps heart attack.

This was the end of the first family of beavers who’d been welcomed to live in Warner Park by the neighboring human population. But Wild Warner is prepared to coordinate with Madison Parks staff to continue our beaver residency program.

It’s my hope that volunteers will continue to extend the protection for trees so we can enjoy a new family of beavers and all the wild creatures who benefit from their presence. If you’re interested in volunteering to protect valued trees or to send photos of suspected beaver chewing, email info.wildwarner@gmail.com.