WATERLOO - Officials at the University of Waterloo say they're aware of a beaver that has taken up residence on Columbia Lake and they will break up its dam if it poses a risk to people or property.

"We're generally aware of it," said university spokesperson Nick Manning. "I don't know whether they plan to go out and break up the dam. We know it's there."

The situation isn't "a crisis," he said, but officials will "probably" break up the dam, especially if it poses a risk to people or to university property or buildings.

Karel Janousek often comes to fish at Columbia Lake, a peaceful, treed haven on the university's north campus. He said he saw the beaver as recently as Monday morning.

"I saw some big shape in the lake," Janousek said. "And then he stuck his head up. He was swimming across to me, but when he saw me he turned and went away."

Janousek said he's not sure what to think of the presence of beavers in the city. "They're interesting animals. They are nice, but they should be somewhere where they are not causing damage."

The university suffered a public relations black eye a decade ago after a public outcry over the trapping and killing of four beavers that had been felling trees near campus walkways. Hundreds of people wrote letters to the editor about the issue, and some alumni threatened to stop donating to the university.

In the wake of the controversy, the university created a wildlife management task force to ensure similar incidents didn't recur.

The university now has guidelines approved by Environment Canada and the provincial Ministry of Natural Resources on managing wildlife, says Manning.

"The overall goal of the wildlife management is: how can we protect them (the animals), people, property and buildings, and ultimately, maintain a harmonious balance between them."

The university values the wildlife that makes its home on campus, he said. "I see groundhogs, and geese and other birds all the time," he said. The wildlife is part of what makes the campus a very special place, he said. And that includes beavers, he said. "They are part of the natural environment."

But "beavers can obviously be very destructive. When they do dam a creek the backup can spread over a massive area of several acres."

University maintenance crews aren't actively scouring the campus on the lookout for beaver dams or lodges, but when they come across a dam that could pose a risk, they break it up in the hope of encouraging the beavers to move on, Manning said.

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Crews broke up a beaver dam last fall near the Village 1 student residence and a second one earlier this year north of Columbia Lake.

The wildlife management policy also provides for humane ways to manage the extensive Canada geese population on campus. The university runs a Goose Watch website, and uses lasers to discourage geese from nesting in areas where people frequent.