A
thriving beaver population is threatening the stability of the Netherlands' sea
defences, a group of experts has warned.
The
Mammal Society has brought together other wildlife groups to work out how to
protect these important water-blocking dykes from the small but potentially
destructive semi-aquatic rodents.
Beavers
play an important ecological role in the Netherlands and were initially brought
in to increase biodiversity.
In
forests, they gnaw through trees, creating space for other species to survive;
in water they build dams, which allow insects and plants to thrive.
The
beaver-breeding programme began in 1988, and since then the beaver population
has grown exponentially. There are now an estimated 700 beavers residing in the
country's streams and canals.
Triumphant
mating habits combined with the beavers' ability to breed so successfully in
the Dutch countryside mean they have been moving beyond the southern province
of Limburg and entering towns and cities that may not be prepared for the
influx
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