Alaska Man Monday checks in from the Great Land with a mix of landscape moments, wildlife troubles and rescues — from beaver ponds removed near Archangel Road to two orphaned harbor seal pups flown nearly 300 miles for care, and a little rural gear show-and-tell to finish.
Summer hangs on in Alaska with cottonwoods and birches shedding wind-blown seeds that blanket the ground like brief snow. The puffs are pretty and messy in equal measure, and they remind you that winter is a few short months away. The scene is ordinary here, familiar and oddly comforting.
Up near Hatcher Pass there was another, less comforting story: beavers and roads collided. Two ponds along Archangel Road were deemed a flood risk, and state crews intervened late last year to remove the ponds and the animals living there. The result left locals and visitors who liked viewing the beavers feeling, as many put it, sad for the animals.
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.
There are trade-offs in places where infrastructure and wild activity overlap, and Alaska’s roads are already hard-pressed by winter freeze-thaw cycles and heavy use. Many side roads are gravel and some so-called highways are merely two-lane dirt tracks, and crews must make choices to keep them passable. Still, removing long-established habitat leaves a bad taste for anyone who cares about wildlife.
Alaska Man score: Nothing for this. Just sad for the beavers, even if this was necessary.
On a brighter note, two harbor seal pups received a second chance after being found lost and injured along the Copper River and outer coast. A volunteer pilot from Seward flew both animals into the Alaska SeaLife Center for rehabilitation, covering nearly 300 miles to get them to care. The pups arrived dehydrated, hungry and, in one case, showing signs of entanglement.
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.
Rescue groups often balance watching from a distance with stepping in when pups are truly at risk, and these pups showed clear signs that help was needed. The second animal was spotted alone on a beach far from the water and showed severe dehydration while an eagle kept circling nearby. Officials monitored overnight, then authorized transport when it was obvious the pup would not survive without intervention.
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.
The SeaLife Center does a lot of public education and rehabilitation work, and their social feeds are full of recovery stories and footage of animals getting stronger. If you enjoy cute and resilient wildlife, their channels offer plenty of that. The two pups in this story were listed as in care and getting the treatment they needed.
Alaska Man score: 5 happy, healthy seal pups.
Finally, because country life often includes tools that city folks only dream about, here’s a little bit of tractor envy to close things out. Living where a tractor makes sense changes your daily rhythm and your relationship with the land. For those who work wood, hay and gravel, nothing says practical like a reliable machine that can haul, dig and tow when the weather and schedule demand it.
Add comment