VANCOUVER -- Residents of a Surrey neighbourhood are worried that a busy local beaver is going to get someone injured or killed.
The animal has felled several trees near a townhouse complex on 68 Avenue near 121 Street in recent years. The most recent one, which came down on Wednesday, did some serious damage.
Sophia Nishimoto said it sounded like a "cannonball boom" when the tree fell onto her roof.
"It was just so frightening," she said.
Nishimoto said previous trees the beaver has gnawed on have damaged a fence on the property, and her home has been lucky to escape damage in the past.
"Last time, we were actually very fortunate," she said. "It was a small tree, and it actually fell in a way where the tip just hit our back door - our patio door - there was actually no damage."
Residents of the complex tell CTV News Vancouver they have reached out to the City of Surrey multiple times in the past and don't believe the city is doing enough to address the issue.
Ideally, they say, they'd like to see the beaver captured and relocated. Another option, residents say, would be to top the trees so they wouldn't reach the townhomes if they fall.
Townhome residents say the city has told them neither of those options is on the table. CTV News reached out to the city and received an emailed response from Neal Aven, the city's manager of parks.
"The city recognizes that beavers are a part of our urban environment and we are sorry to hear about this recent incident," Aven said. "City staff are working with the resident to resolve the matter, have inspected the area for further signs of beaver activity and are completing necessary follow-up work."
Aven advised residents who see beaver-damaged trees - or any other trees of concern - on city land to contact the City of Surrey. He said city arborists will assess such trees and "take necessary steps to mitigate the concern."
The city has put low fences around some trees in the area, but residents say they don't seem to be working.
“I want them to do something which is more effective, because this happened before to the other unit on the end," Nishimoto said. "This is the biggest damage so far that’s occurred. So, I don’t know. What will it take? A human injury? I just want something to be more effective.”
City staff did visit the site Thursday to survey the damage and check on other trees in the area that also have beaver tooth-marks on them.
Correction:
The tree fell on Sophia Nishimoto's roof. A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that it fell onto her neighbour's roof.
