BEAVERS are known to build dams in rivers as shelters, causing problems to the population living nearby, including flooding, tree destruction, and damage to roads and infrastructure.
But these dams are built for their survival and to help shape the environment they are in.
With this knowledge in mind, is it true that these rodents help a government to save money?
Verdict:
TRUE
In January this year, a family of eight beavers built dams in the Klabava River in the Czech Republic, helping the country save about 30mil Czech Koruna (or about RM6.07mil) in addressing water issues.
Originally, the Czech Republic government had come up with a building project in 2018 to protect the river as well as its critically endangered crayfish population.
The aim was to build a dam to prevent sediment and acidic water from two nearby ponds from spilling over.
However, despite securing funding for the project, it was delayed for about seven years due to negotiations over land use and issues related to acquiring the necessary building permits.
But all this changed earlier this year, when these creatures came to the river to build the dam!
Not only did these rodents complete the work faster than the humans had intended, but it was reported that they also doubled the size of the wetland area that was initially planned.
"Beavers always know best," said Jaroslav Obermajer - the head of the Central Bohemian office of the Czech Nature and Landscape Protection Agency, told Radio Prague International, which first reported the story.
Meanwhile, Bohumil Fiser from the Czech Nature Conservation Agency told AFP: "They (the beavers) built a wetland with pools and canals. The area is roughly twice larger than planned."
Fiser continued: "It’s full service: beavers are absolutely fantastic and when they are in an area where they can’t cause damage, they do a brilliant job."
So, the next time if you wonder whether the government can get a job done, remember that beavers can get it done - and it's done (dam) well.
References:
1. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/beaver-dam-czech-republic
2. https://aopk.gov.cz/web/en/-/beavers-save-governments-money
3. https://planetark.com/newsroom/news/beavers-just-saved-the-czech-government-big-bucks
5. https://10elevennwc.com/blog/understanding-the-nuisance-behavior-and-damages-caused-by-beavers
