Beautiful beavers (nature’s flood-reducing architects!)
Beavers are England’s largest rodents, with teeth that never stop growing. They have super-powerful teeth that can gnaw through tree trunks to build dams, and as a result, this can build dams that can prevent floods.
Once hunted almost to extinction, today they have been rewilded in certain areas, reducing floods by up to 60%, even in very wet weather. Yet in 6 years, the government spent £2.6 on flood defences. Beavers can do the same – for free!
Rewilding beavers (must be done by experts)
Although rewilding beavers can be good, it must only be done by experts, to avoid them harming other creatures, and being harmed themselves. Ecologists say this would prevent wildlife-human conflict, in case they felled garden trees or flooded farm crops.
Netting around trees is not good, as the holes are way too large than recommended by wildlife charities, so can trap birds and wildlife.
Growing the right fast-growing trees that beavers prefer, can prevent them from venturing into gardens. Beavers also only have one litter a year, so if left alone they can restore habitats, without overpopulating.
If stems are pruned, beavers can also use these to make dam wetlands. They tend to stay in areas they like, so can just stay put and help to manage floods.
For more information, visit The Beaver Trust
It also says that beavers must be released carefully, as they are very territorial and could fight if amateurs released them in the wrong places.
Fun facts about beautiful beavers!
Beavers are amazing! They spend all day gnawing wood and are mostly active at dawn and dusk. They live in small family groups, and are related to rats, mice and voles.
They are herbivores, using their huge teeth that are orange, due to being coated with iron-rich enamel. They even have a second set of lips, to avoid swallowing debris underwater, and ‘inbuilt swimming googles’ to see under water.
Beavers are also a keystone species. Which means they don’t just prevent floods, but can even naturally filter water to make it purer, as well as keeping it flowing during droughts. They are critically important for our natural world and biodiversity.
Today beavers and thankfully protected from being hunted for fur and meat (although sometimes their oils are still used in perfumes, so choose vegan-friendly ones). It’s rare to see them (and you may confuse them with otters, though the latter are smaller with different tales).
Beavers can snap a tree trunk in two bites, and gnaw through a whole trunk in less than an hour!
They reduce floods by digging channels and then creating little canals to hold water. This pushes water into the soil to absorb water (like peat). And they build dams that let them safely access their little lodges. Brilliant beavers!
