They introduced 20 beavers in Argentina in 1946 to create a fur industry: 80 years later, they have devastated - Diario AS thumbnail

In 1946, the Argentine Navy released around 20 beavers into the forests of Tierra del Fuego. The military’s intention was to establish a fur industry in a largely uninhabited part of the world. Eight decades later, that decision has caused an ecological disaster. With no natural predators and vast territories available to them, the animals’ population has spiraled out of control, surpassing 100,000 beavers.

Flooding that suffocates native plant life

The main problem lies in the rodent’s survival instinct. Beavers construct large wooden dams to create artificial ponds where they build their lodges. The resulting accumulation of stagnant water “drowns” the region’s native trees. These extremely fragile species take almost a century to grow and cannot withstand constant moisture in the way that Canada’s native vegetation can.

As well as causing flooding, the animals rapidly cut down the trees that do survive to keep strengthening their dams. The result is a devastated landscape filled with dead, lifeless trunks. Beavers have so far destroyed nearly 74,000 acres of Patagonian forest, an area roughly twice the size of the city of Buenos Aires.

La devastación por Castor en Tierra del Fuego es tremenda. Camino a Lago Deseado hay una terraza de represas, 6 en total en cascadas una tras otra. La ultima vez que las vi eran solo dos. Insisto en dar por fracasado absolutamente el proyecto GEF Castor. pic.twitter.com/DiRHQBXvv5

— Carlos Zurita Redón (@c_zuritaredon) September 22, 2022

A special team fighting to save the land

The economic impact of the invasion is estimated at around $66 million a year, as it also disrupts drinking-water supplies and affects aquatic wildlife in the region. In an effort to contain the damage, a small team of hunters is working on the ground with financial support from the United Nations and the Global Environment Facility. Experts travel by helicopter to the most remote areas and use satellite technology to locate the artificial ponds created by the invasive animals.

The current mission is not intended to eliminate every beaver on the island because of the immense difficulty involved in covering such a vast territory. Instead, the authorities’ main objective is to clear beavers from carefully selected areas and assess the true effects of their removal. Early results show that the Patagonian forest begins recovering naturally in places where the animals have been successfully eradicated.