Alaska Man Monday: Beaver Ponds and Lost Seals

Summer is still in full swing in the Great Land, and while we aren’t seeing any snow – we will, soon enough – the cottonwoods and birches are putting out their wind-dispersed seeds, which look like big puffs of snow. In some places, they are thick enough to look like snow, too. At least it’s pretty, and while it’s another thing we have to clean up after, it doesn’t last long.

Now, there’s this: Up by Hatcher Pass, there are some problems with beavers. Beavers (and their efforts) are pretty common in Alaska, but it seems two ponds along Archangel Road were causing problems, with a sad outcome for the beavers.

A pair of long-standing beaver ponds along Archangel Road in Hatcher Pass were destroyed and three beavers were killed late last year as part of a project to protect the road from flooding caused by the animals, state officials said.
The ponds were located at about mile two on Archangel Road. State Department of Transportation crews trapped the beavers and removed the ponds late last fall, officials said.
The land near the road has been home to continuous beaver activity for at least 40 years, according to state fish and game officials and residents who regularly visit the area. The ponds were popular with tourists and locals hoping to view beaver habitat because they were accessible by vehicle.

That’s too bad. Granted, our roads in general are in bad enough shape as it is, thanks in large part to our winters, which are really tough on pavement. That’s why so many of our side roads (like ours) are gravel, and even some of what Alaska calls highways, like the Denali Highway, are really just two-lane gravel and dirt roads. And yes, we need to take care of the roads. But we can still feel bad for the beavers.

Alaska Man score: Nothing for this. Just sad for the beavers, even if this was necessary.

Now, some happier news: A pair of adorable seal pups have found a new home at the Alaska SeaLife Center at Seward, after a Seward pilot flew them in from where they were found, lost, dehydrated and injured, out near Cordova.

A Seward pilot helped fly two harbor seal pups from the Cordova area to the Alaska SeaLife Center last week after separate reports raised concerns about injuries, dehydration and abandonment.

The center said both pups traveled nearly 300 miles to Seward with help from Duke Marolf, a local pilot who volunteered his time and aircraft for the rescues.
The first pup came from waters outside Cordova. The Alaska SeaLife Center said her injuries suggested she may have gotten caught in a gillnet. Staff also found a fresh umbilical cord, which indicated she may have been less than 24 hours old.

Seals, like many mammals, normally would only abandon offspring under duress, or if it was deformed or ill. That didn’t look to be the case here; they were just hungry and thirsty, along with being apparently abandoned.

As staff treated the first pup, the center received a second report from Boswell Bay on Hinchinbrook Island, west of Cordova.
The second pup sat alone on a beach unusually far from the water, according to the center. Observers did not see any adult seals nearby. They watched the pup overnight to see if an adult seal would return, but concern grew when the pup showed signs of severe dehydration and an eagle repeatedly followed it along the beach.
NOAA then approved the second pup’s trip to Seward for rehabilitation.

You can check out a lot of what the Alaska SeaLife Center does to care for and rehabilitate seagoing mammals and birds on their YouTube channel. Fair warning: If you like adorable critters, you may be there for a while. I get lost there for an hour or more sometimes.

Alaska Man score: 5 happy, healthy seal pups.

Now, let’s talk about implements for country life. See, the only thing cooler than having a tractor is living in a place where it makes sense to have a tractor. Watch:

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