Beaver boom benefits German rivers
Beavers, long believed to be under threat of extinction, are making a comeback in Germany. The dam-building critters are now even a common sight in big cities such as Frankfurt and Berlin, said German conservationists over the weekend.
The beaver boom is a welcome development, said Harthun, as their presence encourages the growth of other species along Germany’s riverbanks. “Beavers pave the way for the rehabilitation of our rivers,” he said.
Nice to see the Germans recognizing beaver benefits! And love the rehabilitation sentence. It’s especially welcome after that exciting crocodile mistake earlier in the summer. (I have to be honest. That remains one of my favorite stories. Ever.) In case you forgot:
‘Crocodile’ terrorising German town turns out to be a beaver
Two visitors to the Bavarian city’s local lake, Klauensee, claimed to have spotted a crocodile in the water. After deploying dozens of searchers, including a dramatic night-time boat operation with more than 70 police, fire fighters and aid workers, officials in the town now believe they have spotted the missing reptile. But Klausi the crocodile, it turns out, is actually just a beaver.
My helpful graphic was offered to assist the challenging discrimination at the time. Ahhh memories.
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Well, onward and forward! Reviews are in on “The Beaver Whispers” which debuts this Thursday in Canada. Veteran critic James Bawden says the program is a ‘delight’.
I’ve just finished reviewing a CBC documentary about dogs. Now I’m being asked to review one on beavers? I was skeptical but after plopping in the DVD I couldn’t stop watching. To her credit Osborne seeks out the experts who argue beavers can bring back long neglected wetlands. They may be one part of our ecological survival –miniature animal flood control engineers.
Pre-hype is excellent wondrous news because it means more folks will sit down at their TV and learn why beavers are good for water and that there are actual ways to solve problems instead of trapping. Exciting. I can think of a few city mayors and magistrates in particular (and I’m looking at you, Jim) I hope open a cold one, put their feet up, and pay attention.
Now this third and final promo is excellent advertisement, but it contains one truly miraculous bit of mind-blowing footage that I want to be the first to draw your attention to. Watch specifically at 1:08, where an underwater sequence shows how their tail can propel them underwater at jaw-dropping speeds. The first time I saw it I thought it had been sped up. Now I know why the pope in the 14th century classified them as a fish.
