Master Builder Beaver
50 years ago, animal welfare activists released five beavers into the wild in the canton of Thurgau.
For 200 years, the beaver had disappeared from Switzerland. Driven to extinction by humans who ate the flesh of this mammal — classified as a fish — even during Lent, and who used its glandular secretion, castoreum, as an aphrodisiac. Fifty years after the first reintroduction, the beaver population in Thurgau has grown to 500 individuals, making it the largest in Switzerland, which has a total of around 2,800 animals.
To mark the anniversary, the Naturmuseum Thurgau is presenting the special exhibition «Baumeister Biber. 50 Jahre Biber im Thurgau: eine Rückkehr mit Nebengeräuschen». In 1966, Thurgau’s “beaver father” Anton Trösch and his helpers released the first two beavers into the wild near Bottighofen on Lake Constance.
The release of Olaf and Haakon was, however, not off to a good start, said museum director Hannes Geisser during a press tour. The volunteers had mistakenly released two males. One of them, Haakon, migrated to Graubünden, where he was later run over. He can be seen in the exhibition, mounted alongside another specimen in front of a gnawed garden fence.
Of the 18 beavers released, only around a third survived. From the only successful reintroduction project at Nussbaumersee above Frauenfeld, the beavers spread along the Thur river and migrated into northeastern Switzerland. According to the most recent survey from 2014, there are 140 territories in Thurgau, each inhabited by a parent animal together with one- and two-year-old young, said Geisser.
“The return of the beaver is the flagship achievement of conservationists, but it also comes with some side effects,” said the biologist. The strictly protected rodent is not welcome everywhere, as its dam-building activities can transform entire landscapes, sometimes causing damage to embankments, canal slopes, roads, and other infrastructure.
This comes at a cost. According to a federal estimate, repair costs amount to around one million francs per year. A cantonal initiative from Thurgau calls on the federal government to cover the damages. The Council of States rejected the initiative, while the National Council has yet to address it.
The future of beavers looks promising, according to Geisser. Although the animals face no enemies apart from road traffic, their spread is increasingly leveling off because their habitat is limited. "The animals defend their territory to the death," said Geisser. Thanks to the new Water Protection Act, which provides for the restoration of rivers and streams, the living conditions of these protected animals will improve in the long term.
[vimeo 168748829 w=715 h=402]
Related dossiers and articles:
