Shocking news as beavers move north
- May 28
- 1 min read
The team at GetBertie is shocked to hear that beavers are on the move to the Arctic.
CBC News is reporting that new research shows that beavers are being seen in the Arctic in greater numbers.
Reasons for the beaver march north, said researchers, are shrubification and climate change.
Locals in the Inuvialuit region say it used to be a treat seeing a beaver, now they're everywhere.
They are even being spotted in salt water, rare for typically freshwater creatures.
Their presence is not universally loved, as they are busy building dams and changing the course of rivers. Locals claim the obstructions make the rivers impassable and disturb their way of life.
They said the beavers and their dams they make are affecting and changing traditional travelling routes.
A new study in the journal Ecosphere presented new evidence for beaver expansion in the Arctic as early as 2008.
Beavers are being blamed for important waterways being blocked and impacts upon the permafrost which could contribute to lake drainage.
The spread of beavers is helped by the lack of predators, especially humans, who no longer hunt or trap the animals, as there's no money in it.
Discussions have started as to how damage from the beavers can be limited.
