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A Beaver Story

While I was traveling in Patagonia two years ago, I found myself in the lovely town of Ushuaia. During one of the tours I took when exploring the region, I was told a story. A story about our Canadian friendly animal- the beaver.

For those of you who don’t know what a beaver is, the beaver is Canada’s largest rodent. Beavers have a thick fur with a flat tail. They live near slow-flowing streams where they construct dams out of logs, debris and mud. This animal was once considered most valuable for its fur during the fur trade in the 16th century.  

This being said, in 1946, the beaver was introduced for the first time in the Southern Hemisphere when beavers were shipped to Tierra del Fuego (Argentina). 50 beavers were on their way to Patagonia because some greedy businessmen wanted to setup a fur trade in the area. There was one problem though: The beavers did not have predators in that region and so, the beaver population exploded. And now what? There are more than 50,000 beavers wandering around in Patagonia. And the consequence? The beavers are destroying the forests in the region. Dams are obvious when hiking in the region of Tierra del Fuego.

Lesson to be learned: This is what happens when humankind messes with nature to make money! We have no business moving animals accross the world to make money off of them. They’ll just come back and bite you in the bum for doing so!

About The Author

Tanya is an adventurous person who most enjoys the cultural aspect of traveling. She traveled to North, Central and South America, Europe, Africa and Europe. When she's not hiking mountains, she spends her time visiting local schools or families. It's a nice break from the 9-5 corporate life.

Number of Entries : 243

Comments (3)

  • Sophia

    LOL! unless in an aquarium where there are in a simulated habitat that is familiar to them.
    cute story :)

    Reply
  • Geopatagonia

    Its one of the problems we have in Argentinas National Parks, specially in Patagonia.
    Along history they have also brought from other countries, deer, wild pig,birdlife,trouts,etc. All of them introduced many changes in the environment, still is a big problem, and very difficult to solve!!!

    Reply
    • Tanya

      Thanks for your comment!
      It’s sad because greedy businessmen brought it upon themselves and the nation. Hopefully, other countries can learn about this unsuccessful move.

      Reply

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