PETA vs. the Girl Scouts

In Fairbanks, Alaska, there are too many beavers. And the result of this expanded population is a flood-management problem, which the state has had to address. Local Girl Scouts have done their part, taking on trapping projects, thus both aiding the community and teaching the girls about a common and long-lived local practice.

But, perhaps not surprisingly, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals isn't happy about this. A spokeswoman said "We think it sends a very, very bad message that when animals cause a problem you kill them." In their letter, beaver trapping is equated with cockfighting, a typical extreme PETA claim. And of course, PETA does not appear to offer any alternative solution to the consequences of Fairbanks' beaver population problem. One is left to suppose that PETA values the animals' lives over the potential consequences to human life and wellbeing (which wouldn't be unprecedented for them).