- Traces of the presence of beavers have been discovered in the North. The observations were made near Lille and in the Avesnois.
- The animal would arrive from Belgium where it was reintroduced ten years ago.
Good news for nature. The prefecture confirmed in late January that the European beaver had returned to the Nord department. Two different organisms observed traces of the presence of the rodent in the Lille metropolis and in the Avesnois. For the design office Rainette, this is a positive sign on the state of biodiversity.
A few centuries ago, crossing a family of beavers on the banks of a river was not uncommon, even in the North. The animal was still very present everywhere in France until the XVIIth century when it started to be massively hunted, in particular for its fur. According to the authorities, at the start of the 20th century, the species only survived in the lower Rhône valley. But it was still necessary to wait until 1968 for the beaver to be protected. Too late for the North, from which it had long since disappeared.
"In no case did we expect to find beavers"
Suffice to say that when Julian Lazard, in charge of wildlife studies for the Rainette office, discovered traces left by beavers near Lille, he was very surprised. “In the middle of last year, we started an inventory mission on biodiversity in this metropolitan canal. In no case did we expect to find beavers, ”he explains. But the first clues began to fall: "We found crayons, bevelled branches. It is a clue but nutria is also capable of doing the same thing on small branches. Confirmation that they were beavers arrived in early fall with the discovery of other pencils, but also of ramps, shavings and "chopsticks", small barked branches.
However, no one has yet been able to observe the animal itself. "Because it was a victim of hunting, the species changed its behavior and it became nocturnal, says the specialist. In our case, the indications show that we are surely dealing with an individual who is rather young, ”explains Julian Lazard. Nevertheless, the population should increase if no one comes to annoy them. “For biodiversity, this is good news. The beaver is a true creator of wetlands suitable for the development of other species such as amphibians, "argues the researcher.
The only risk for these beavers, who came straight from Belgium, is the human factor. Contrary to what is sometimes said, this rodent is not a vector of diseases. "It can sometimes cause damage to trees along rivers," concedes the research manager at Rainette. But anyway, it's protected, so you'll have to do well with it.
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