KNOWLEDGE BASE

This study tested if dogs could match individual Eurasian beavers using their anal gland secretions. Dogs successfully matched beavers with almost 90% accuracy, suggesting they can be a reliable alternative to DNA analysis and live trapping in monitoring beavers for conservation projects.

After a record flood in the Canadian Rocky Mountains in 2013, scientists examined how beaver dams had fared. The aim was to bring evidence to the ongoing debate around whether beaver dams fail during extreme weather events (with the subsequent risk that such failures could make flood situations worse rather than better). The results showed that most beaver dams did not fail. Even those that did fail still stored significant amounts of water, delaying floodwaters downstream. This finding supports the potential importance of beavers in climate adaptation. Please note, this resource is not open-access.

Researchers conducted interviews with local people living alongside beavers in Hungary and Romania. Interviewees had detailed understandings of beavers' impacts on ecosystem services and livelihoods. Many people recognised both beavers' negative effects whilst also appreciating beavers' building skills and charming nature. The researchers said better communication - including two-way learning - between conservationists and locals will be crucial to managing human-beaver conflicts.

In this study, computer models were developed to predict where beavers would likely settle down in Britain. The model took into account where they could find the plants they need and where the rivers would be appropriate for building dams. The model was tested on two sites in the southwest of England and one in Scotland. The model was deemed successful and could be useful for informing reintroduction efforts.

This study on Eurasian beavers in Norway found their activity and movement were influenced by factors like age, weather, and moonlight. Older beavers were less active, while beavers also spent less time on land during brighter, drier nights, indicating a predation risk-avoidance strategy. Beavers also spent less time in the water during the colder times of the year, suggesting that temperature also constrained their activity. The full paper described more of their findings.