5/29/2023 0 Comments The secret life of beavers![]() Some consider beavers a nuisance for blocking waterways and culverts, and for cutting down trees. Some landowners object to beavers, incorrectly thinking the dams interfere with water supplies. Ponds protect beaver lodges from predators. Ecosystem engineers, beavers build dams almost anyplace where water can be impounded, wood is available, and habitat can be improved (from their perspective). Their dams and ponds were eliminated to create farmland. Beavers were hunted for their water-resistant fur, used for hats and clothing, and their castoreum, used in medicine and perfume. Today, only 10 to 15 million beavers remain. ![]() ![]() In North America, between 100 and 400 million beavers existed prior to European colonization and could be found in nearly every watershed. Once widespread, the Eurasian beaver population was reduced to twelve hundred animals at the start of the twentieth century. Learn why beaver populations were decimated and why their restoration is vital to ecosystem health on which humans and wildlife depend. ![]()
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