Beavers in Switzerland: Introduced and cleared for hunting

The European beaver was completely eradicated in Switzerland at the beginning of the 19th century. Its fur, meat, and castoreum, a glandular secretion considered a miracle cure, made it the victim of centuries of persecution. The Church declared beaver meat to be "fish" because of its fish-like tail and permitted its consumption during Lent. In 1685, a beaver cookbook with 200 recipes was published (SWI swissinfo.ch, 2024). Between 1956 and 1977, dedicated individuals reintroduced a total of 141 beavers at 30 locations in Switzerland. In 2022, the national population survey counted 4,914 beavers in 1,382 territories (info fauna, Beaver Population Survey 2022). The species has recovered so well that it has been removed from the Red List and classified as "least concern" (LC). The beaver is one of the greatest success stories of Swiss nature conservation. Since February 1, 2025, the cantons have been able to shoot beavers that cause "significant damage." A hearing with the federal government is not even required for these culls. Pro Natura, WWF, and BirdLife Switzerland consider the new regulation unnecessary, too vaguely worded, and potentially illegal. BirdLife director Raffael Ayé warns: "This opens the floodgates to arbitrary culling" (SRF, 2025).

Profile

The European beaver ( Castor fiber ) is the largest native rodent in Switzerland. It reaches a weight of 20 to 25 kilograms and a body length of up to one meter, plus its flat, scaly tail (the "paddle") of about 30 centimeters. This makes it heavier than a roe deer. Its fur is dense and water-repellent, ranging in color from brown to dark brown. Its powerful, orange incisors grow continuously throughout its life, enabling it to fell tree trunks up to one meter in diameter. Beavers are monogamous, living in family groups of four to six animals (parents and offspring of the last two years). They are nocturnal, strictly vegetarian (bark, branches, aquatic plants, herbs), and territorial. Their lifespan in the wild is 10 to 15 years. After a gestation period of approximately 105 days, the female gives birth to one to four young. The young leave their parents' territory at the age of two and establish their own.

Ecosystem engineer: For 15 million years

The beaver is the only organism besides humans that actively and extensively reshapes its environment. It fells trees, builds dams, impounds streams, creates ponds, and constructs lodges. For 15 million years, the European beaver has displayed these landscape-shaping abilities (NaturZYT). The aquatic landscapes of Europe have been shaped by millions of years of beaver activity. The floodplains, wetlands, and dynamic river landscapes that we consider "nature" are to a considerable extent the work of the beaver. Its eradication has not only eliminated a species but also disrupted an ecological process that has shaped the waters of Europe since the Miocene.

History: Extermination and Return

The extermination

The beaver was once widespread throughout Switzerland. Three factors led to its complete extinction by the beginning of the 19th century: its valuable, dense fur, from which felt hats were made; castoreum , a glandular secretion marketed as a remedy for various ailments; and its meat, which the Church classified as "fish" because of its fish-like tail, thus permitting it for consumption during Lent (SWI swissinfo.ch, 2024). Only around 1,200 beavers survived in a few isolated remnant populations across Europe (info fauna, Beavers in Switzerland).

The resettlement

In 1956, the Geneva naturalist Maurice Blanchet, together with a group of conservationists, reintroduced the first beavers to the Versoix River in the canton of Geneva. Further reintroduction efforts followed at 30 locations throughout Switzerland until 1977, with a total of 141 animals released from various remaining European populations. The reintroduction was not coordinated by the federal government, but rather the work of dedicated private individuals such as Maurice Blanchet (Geneva), Karl Rüedi (Aargau), and Anton Trösch (Thurgau) (info fauna, Beavers in Switzerland). The beaver has been protected under federal law since 1962 (JSG, SR 922.0).

Inventory development: A success story

The recovery was slow: the first national population survey in 1978 counted only a few hundred animals. By 1993, the number had risen to around 350. In 2008, the population was estimated at 1,600 beavers. The most recent survey in 2022 recorded 4,914 beavers in 1,382 territories (info fauna, Beaver Population Survey 2022). The population is growing according to a logistical pattern: initially slowly, then exponentially, with signs of saturation already appearing in some long-established areas. The beaver's status on the Red List has been downgraded accordingly: in 1994, it was classified as "critically endangered" (CR), in 2008 as "vulnerable" (VU), and since 2022 as "least concern" (LC) (info fauna; WWF Basel).

This success story is the result of a consistent hunting ban that has lasted for over 60 years. It is proof that conservation works and that species that require space from humans can coexist. This very success story is now being called into question by the new culling regulations.

More on this topic: Dossier: Hunting and Biodiversity

The new shooting regulation: protection with a loophole

What has been in effect since February 1, 2025

On December 13, 2024, the Federal Council enacted the revised Hunting Act, together with the amended Hunting Ordinance (JSV), effective February 1, 2025 (Federal Council, Press Release, 2024). For the first time, the Hunting Ordinance also regulates the culling of beavers. The rule states: Individual beavers may be shot if they cause "significant damage" or endanger people, after the damage and danger have not been prevented by other measures (SRF, 2025). The beaver formally remains a protected species. However, its protection is no longer absolute.

What the conservation organizations criticize

Pro Natura, WWF Switzerland and BirdLife Switzerland consider the new regulations unnecessary and dangerous. Their criticism in detail:

First: No federal consultation before culling. Unlike with wolves, no prior consultation with the federal government is required for beaver culls. The cantons can decide on culls independently. BirdLife CEO Raffael Ayé criticizes: "The Federal Council is thus attempting, in a questionable manner, to create the same grounds for culling beavers as for wolves" (BirdLife Switzerland, 2024).

Secondly: No clearly defined damage threshold. The phrase "significant damage" is too vague. There is a risk that even the slightest damage could be used as grounds for shooting (BirdLife Switzerland, 2024).

Thirdly: Not a single cull has been necessary so far. Although the legal option to kill beavers under certain conditions has existed for over 30 years, not a single canton had made use of it by 2025. The conflicts were resolved through preventative measures, as numerous practical examples in the cantons demonstrate (SRF, 2025).

Fourth: The family clause problem. Beavers live in family groups. If all members of a family are involved in an incident of damage, then logically the entire clan would have to be killed (SRF, 2025). This regulation therefore endangers not only individual animals, but entire family groups.

Fifth: Potential illegality. Raffael Ayé considers the new rules potentially illegal: "You can't simply override the hunting law with such a regulation" (SRF, 2025).

The political context

In 2020, the Swiss electorate rejected a revision of the hunting law that would have given the Federal Council the authority to add further species, such as lynx and beaver, to the list of animals that can be killed. Pro Natura commented: “Lynx, beaver, and other protected animals cannot be preemptively decimated. We were able to prevent this with the referendum” (Pro Natura, 2023). The fact that the beaver is now nevertheless being added to the list of animals to be killed via the back door of the hunting regulations undermines the popular vote of 2020.

More on this topic: Animal welfare problem: Wild animals die agonizing deaths because of hobby hunters

Ecological significance: The architect of biodiversity

Creating habitats

The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) itself documents the ecological impact of beavers in a comprehensive online dossier (FOEN, 2023): In Marthalen (ZH), a single beaver family has created an ecosystem of approximately 5 hectares, which has since been designated as a 10-hectare forest reserve. Dragonflies, amphibians, fish, and aquatic plants have returned. The FOEN describes the result as the "Amazon of Switzerland" (info fauna, Beaver Population Survey 2022). The beaver management office documents that in 2008 there were 185 beaver dams in Switzerland; by 2022, this number had risen to 1,316 (info fauna, 2023). Each individual dam creates new wetlands, raises the groundwater level, and promotes biodiversity.

The 90 percent gap

The work of the beaver is all the more valuable in Switzerland because 90 percent of floodplains have been destroyed in the last 150 years by river straightening and drainage (FOEN, 2023). Floodplains are among the most biodiverse habitats in Switzerland and, at the same time, the most endangered. The beaver is the only organism that can create new floodplain habitats without requiring millions of dollars from humans to be invested in restoration projects. At a time when Switzerland is spending billions on revitalizing its waterways, the beaver is the country's most cost-effective restorer.

Water retention and flood protection

Beaver dams retain water in the landscape, slowing runoff and reducing peak flood levels. In times of increasing heavy rainfall due to climate change, this service is of growing importance. At the same time, beaver dams raise the groundwater level and create water reservoirs that replenish water during dry periods. These ecosystem services are economically quantifiable and far outweigh the damage caused by beavers, yet they are not considered in any cost-benefit analysis.

Water quality

Beaver dams act as natural filters. The longer retention time of water in beaver ponds allows for a variety of chemical and biological degradation processes. Swiss rivers and streams are often polluted with nitrogen and phosphorus. The retention function of beaver dams helps to reduce these nutrient loads before they reach larger bodies of water (info fauna, Beavers in Switzerland).

What would need to change

Withdrawal of the culling regulation in the hunting ordinance : The culling of beavers is unnecessary, as 30 years of practice without a single cull proves. The conflicts can be resolved with preventative measures: tree protection using wire mesh, dam removal at critical points, installation of culverts, and planting less attractive shrubs along the banks. The new regulation must be completely removed in the next revision of the ordinance.
Consistent implementation of preventative measures : The revised hunting regulations stipulate that the federal government and cantons must contribute to the costs of damage prevention. These funds must be consistently invested in prevention and not used as a pretext for culling. The federal government must ensure that culling is only authorized as a last resort and that the cantons do not take the easy way out by resorting to shooting.
Consistent implementation of the riparian buffer zone law : Many conflicts with beavers arise because agriculture and infrastructure extend right up to the water's edge. Consistent implementation of the riparian buffer zone regulations according to the Water Protection Act (GSchG) would mitigate most of these conflicts. Beavers need a buffer strip along the shoreline; if this is guaranteed, there are hardly any problems.
Utilizing beavers as a tool for renaturation : The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has documented the positive effects of beavers on biodiversity, water retention, and water quality. These findings must be put into practice: Beavers should be specifically integrated into renaturation projects instead of being controlled as "pests." This has already been successful in Marthalen (ZH).

Argumentation

"Beavers cause considerable damage to infrastructure and agriculture." Beavers can cause localized damage: undermined dams, flooded meadows, felled fruit trees. This damage is real, but manageable. Thirty years of coexistence without a single cull proves that prevention works. The ecological benefits of beavers (species promotion, water retention, water purification, floodplain formation) far outweigh the local damage. Switzerland spends billions on river restoration; beavers provide the same service free of charge.

"The new regulation only affects individual cases and does not endanger the population." The phrase "significant damage" is too vague and lacks a clearly defined damage threshold. The lack of consultation with the federal government gives the cantons too much leeway. Beavers live in family groups; shooting one "damaging beaver" can lead to the shooting of an entire family. Experience with wolf management shows that once shooting options are established, they are quickly expanded. What begins as an "isolated case" becomes routine.

"The beaver is no longer endangered, therefore population control is justifiable." The beaver is no longer endangered because it has been consistently protected for 60 years. To use this success as an argument against protection is perverse logic: you protect a species until it recovers, and then shoot it again because it has recovered. The beaver was once eradicated in Switzerland. The lesson from this history is not that it can be hunted again as soon as there are enough of them, but that consistent protection works and must be maintained.

"The 2020 referendum did not affect beaver protection." In 2020, voters rejected a revision of the Hunting Act that would have given the Federal Council the authority to place beavers on the list of animals to be killed. The fact that beavers are now being added to the list of animals to be killed via the hunting ordinance, without direct approval from the people or parliament, undermines the democratic decision. BirdLife considers the ordinance potentially unlawful.

“Other countries are regulating their beaver populations; Switzerland needs to follow suit.” The situation in Switzerland is not comparable to countries like Germany or Austria, where beaver populations are significantly larger and the aquatic landscapes are structured differently. Switzerland has lost 90 percent of its floodplains. The beaver is the only animal that can create new floodplains. In this situation, every beaver is a gain for biodiversity, not a problem that needs to be regulated.

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Related dossiers

Sources

info fauna / Beaver Advisory Service: Beavers in Switzerland, distribution, history, population survey 2022 (infofauna.ch)
Info fauna (2023): Beaver population survey 2022 in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Angst C., Auberson C., Nienhuis C. (4,914 beavers, 1,382 territories, 1,316 dams)
BAFU (2023): A versatile shaper: When the beaver arrives, things get colorful (Web dossier, bafu.admin.ch)
FOEN: Species conservation of birds / biodiversity (bafu.admin.ch)
Federal Council (2024): Press release of 13 December 2024, Revised Hunting Act in force as of 1 February 2025 (admin.ch)
SRF (2025): Cantons will soon be allowed to shoot beavers, under certain conditions (srf.ch, 15.1.2025)
BirdLife Switzerland (2024): Federal Council adopts problematic hunting regulations (birdlife.ch, 13.12.2024)
Pro Natura (2023): New hunting regulations, Pro Natura takes a close look (pronatura.ch)
Wolf Group Switzerland: Hunting law, beaver and lynx (gruppe-wolf.ch)
SWI swissinfo.ch (2024): The Beaver, a Story of Reconquest (swissinfo.ch)
NaturZYT: The beaver is back in Switzerland with its lodges (naturzyt.ch)
WWF Central Switzerland: Beaver population 2022 (wwf-zentral.ch)
WWF Basel: Beavers, conservation status and history (wwf-bs.ch)
Capt S. (2022): Red List of Mammals (excluding bats). BAFU / info fauna (Beavers: LC since 2022)
Federal Act on Hunting and the Protection of Wild Mammals and Birds (JSG, SR 922.0)
Hunting Ordinance (JSV, SR 922.01), revised as of 1 February 2025
Animal Welfare Act (TSchG, SR 455)

Our claim

The beaver is the greatest success story of Swiss species conservation. From zero to almost 5,000 animals in 66 years. From "critically endangered" to "not threatened." From the last surviving individual to nationwide distribution. This story became possible because dedicated private individuals didn't give up, because protection was consistently enforced, and because Switzerland gave its largest rodent 60 years to recover.

The beaver thanks us. In Marthalen, a single family has created an "Amazon of Switzerland." At over 1,300 dams across the country, new wetlands are being created, amphibians, dragonflies, and fish are returning, water is being retained in the landscape, and water quality is improving. Switzerland has lost 90 percent of its floodplains. The beaver is the only animal that can create new floodplains, free of charge, around the clock, and has been doing so for 15 million years.

And what does Switzerland do? It puts the beaver on the list of animals that can be killed by decree. Not because it's necessary: for 30 years, not a single canton has had to shoot a beaver. Not because the people wanted it: in 2020, voters rejected a revision that would have made precisely this possible. But because it's more convenient to shoot an animal than to respect riparian buffer zones, put up a wire fence around a fruit tree, or install a culvert in a dam.

The consequence is clear: The regulation allowing beavers to be shot must be rescinded. Conflicts can be resolved through prevention, as 30 years of experience have proven. The beaver is not a pest. It is an ecosystem engineer, a restorer of nature, a builder of biodiversity, and a success story that must be protected, not shot. This dossier will be continuously updated as new figures, studies, or political developments necessitate it.

More on the topic of hobby hunting: In our dossier on hunting, we compile fact checks, analyses and background reports.