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Video length: 4 min
Beavers: a cumbersome neighbor for farmers, which nevertheless presents advantages
In France, beavers are making a comeback. Their dams sometimes cause streams to overflow, which flood neighboring farmers’ fields. But the species, protected, also has advantages, in particular by cleaning the banks.
(France 2)
In France, beavers are making a comeback. Their dams sometimes cause streams to overflow, which flood neighboring farmers’ fields. But the species, protected, also has advantages, in particular by cleaning the banks.
The beaver is making a comeback in France. This animal cuts and transports branches in the middle of the night to build dams. The goal is to control the water level and keep the entrance to its habitat always submerged to escape predators. But sometimes, the streams blocked by these reservoirs overflow and flood the neighboring fields of farmers, like those of farmer Christian Renaudin in Sivry-sur-Meuse (Meuse).
Forbidden to touch the dams
It is forbidden to touch the dams, because the species is protected, under penalty of a fine of 150,000 euros. Dominique Landragin, naturalist at the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO), recalls that beaver constructions can filter water pollution. The beaver also cleans the banks, cuts the trees with its teeth, and allows them to grow back better. By recreating wetlands thanks to its dams, the beaver allows an entire biodiversity to be reborn. According to the French Biodiversity Office, 213 conflicts linked to beavers have been reported in around fifty departments concerned.
