Have you seen them yet?
Gnawed-off sticks?
Trees with gnaw marks?
Maybe even a gnawed tree?
The beaver is back in the Netherlands, and how. After it was released in the Biesbosch and Gelderse Poort in 1988, the population has grown considerably. And the beaver hotspot of the Netherlands? That is currently in the municipality of Altena, the Biesbosch Line that is. Between January 2018 and the end of September 2020, beavers were seen here no less than 533 times.
The beaver is a large rodent that prefers to live in and around water. It builds its own home: the beaver's lodge. The entrance to that lodge is underwater, safely protected from predators. Is there no water available where he wants it? A beaver does not resign itself to nothing. With its sharp, bright orange front teeth, it gnaws off branches and trees, which it uses to build dams. With these dams, he influences the water level around his lodge. He shifts the course of streams and rivers and even creates his own lakes. Dams of 150 meters long are no exception; beaver dams of 800 meters have even been found.
In the Netherlands, by the way, the beaver does not exhibit this behavior. Our country is water-rich enough for beavers to build a safe lodge without building their own Delta Works.
If beavers were humans, they would have had a row house, a 9-5 job and 1.7 children per family. They are true family animals. Beavers are monogamous and live in their lodge with their young. Per gestation, the beaver gives birth to 2-6 cubs. The young beavers do not leave their parental home until they are sexually mature after 2-3 years. Thus, sometimes as many as 10-20 animals live in one lodge. The beaver lodge consists of several rooms. A wet chamber, where the beaver can shake out its fur, and a dry one. This dry nest chamber is about 20 cm above water level.
Beavers have a considerable influence on nature in their territory. Not only do they shift the course of water, through their gnawing they also have a great influence on the biodiversity of the area. They like to eat bark, which they gnaw off trees. The trees often do not survive this in the long run. Dead trees attract insects, and those insects in turn attract birds, such as woodpeckers. Dead trees also pave the way for new vegetation. In this way, a beaver family can leave a solid mark on the landscape over time.
Not everyone is equally enthusiastic about this, by the way. The beaver builds where it wants, and that may well be in a place less convenient for people. For example, one decided to occupy a walkway with its lodge in Struikwaard for years. Beavers also sometimes dig tunnels in dikes, weakening them as a result. But in general, the arrival of a beaver is good news for nature.
In Altena, beavers live in the Biesbosch and along all the rivers. You can encounter their tracks in the floodplains Groesplaat and the Struikwaard. Find a beaver during a walk there? That's not easy, because they are shy nocturnal animals. Your best bet is to look for gnawed-off branches and gnaw marks on trees. You may be able to tell where it has been walking: its broad flat tail drags across the ground as it walks, leaving a distinct trail.
Trying your luck? Take a walk through the floodplain early in the morning or at dusk. Who knows, you might get lucky and see one of those scurrying nibblers in real life. Bring binoculars!
