At the bend of an unprecedented rescue, a young beaver signed two weeks ago the first reappearance of the species in Haute-Garonne.
The discovery took place in the Tarn river, in the town of Villemur-sur-Tarn.
The miraculous was released upstream, unscathed.
For the French Office for Biodiversity, its presence there is a good sign of the reconquest of the territory by this protected species which almost disappeared.
With its flat tail, impossible to confuse it with a coypu.
A rather unprecedented rescue took place two weeks ago in Villemur-sur-Tarn, about forty kilometers northwest of Toulouse.
That of a young beaver first seen this famous Saturday, March 19 in the morning by a couple of walkers.
The rodent in difficulty was trapped in a lock under construction.
“He had fallen into a detention, in the middle of a lot of debris.
The current was strong and he was trying to stay in the air, ”says Christophe Voinson, head of the northern unit of the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) in Haute-Garonne.
🦫 A European beaver (Castor fiber) was observed in Haute-Garonne on Saturday March 19, 2022 in Villemur-sur-Tarn.
⚠️ Stuck in a lock he was saved thanks to a collaboration @PoliceNationale @PompiersFR and @OFBiodiversite
Thread👉👉👉 pic.twitter.com/etmCOFLa2M
— French Office for Biodiversity (@OFBiodiversite) March 23, 2022
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After having had confirmation that the photo sent by his colleagues from Tarn-et-Garonne that morning by SMS was indeed that of a beaver, he alerted the municipal police of Villemur then the firefighters.
A whole deployment, logical, concerning the representative of a species protected since 1968 in France.
And all the more important since the young miraculous is quite simply at the origin of "the first visual observation in Haute-Garonne" since the OFB's Castor network has been monitoring the species.
"But we had an indication of its presence after having found during an inspection a shrub cut on foot", specifies the technician.
A generally unmistakable sign, witness to the careful work of a beaver's long teeth.
“A favorable environment”
The appearance would be less exotic in a zoo, or in the Rhône valley and on the banks of the Loire where several reintroductions have already taken place after the beaver's virtual disappearance in France at the beginning of the 20th century, as its beautiful fur drawing on gray was popular with poachers.
Not to mention the castoreum, the very fragrant substance that it deposits here and there and to which medicinal virtues were attributed.
But in Haute-Garonne, this is excellent news for biodiversity.
"It's a sign that he is reclaiming territory from the source of the Tarn river [which takes its source in the Cévennes] and that he feels good there, so he finds a favorable environment there.
“Enough scattered branches to build his huts and dams in particular, but not necessarily pure water.
"Because the beaver is able to adapt to variable water quality," warns the specialist.
Concerning the Villemur beaver, forever the first, the hypothesis is that it was "exploring", perhaps in search of a soul mate, after having left its family, which young people generally do around the age of two.
“When we released him, about fifteen kilometers upstream, he looked in good health.
He stayed for two or three minutes watching us standing on his feet, ”recalls Christophe Voinson, who immortalized the “liberation” in a video that has become quite popular.
Not so shy the animal or, perhaps, grateful.
Does this mean that walkers along the banks of the Tarn could come face to face with a beaver?
The technician is not sure.
For him, “we will still have to wait for the population to be clearly visible”.
But, a little trick in case of a lucky encounter: “The beaver swims with only its head out of the water, whereas for a coypu, you can see the whole silhouette.
»
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