How the beaver regenerates rivers and landscapes

A river is shaped. For millions of years, beavers have known this well. Because by building their shelters and dams everywhere in Europe, they helped maintain rich and resilient natural environments. But for three millennia, cohabitation with humans has made their work more complicated.

Result ? Beaver populations have continued to fall. However, an awareness was made over the last century to try to reintroduce these animals on different bodies of water. Because after channeling rivers for centuries, humans have understood that it is better to work with nature than against it.

The beavers have experienced it for a long time by creating stagnant water reserves, promoting wetlands and biodiversity, facilitating slow infiltration of fluids and creating natural buffer zones that avoid too violent and destructive floods. The force of the animal lies mainly in its incisors and in its powerful teeth which allow it to tackle the branches and trunks which it mostly tastes the bark.

As for its flat and muscular tail, very singular in mammals, it serves as a tool, propellant and rudder. Semi-aquatic animal, thanks to its coat consisting of two thicknesses and its webbed rear legs, it takes hold in huts which it patiently builds and whose entrance is accessible under water. What effectively protect the few in number from small beavers and thus favor tight and durable family ties.