“Beaver Management” in Moscow

MOSCOW, July 30. /TASS/. A pilot project on “beaver management” for the peaceful coexistence of humans and these animals is feasible in Moscow on an island named after them. This was reported to TASS by Ivan Bashinsky, Senior Researcher at the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Head of the Beaver Working Group of the Theriological Society named after Academician V. E. Sokolov at the Russian Academy of Sciences.

“Beaver Island on the Moskva River has been home to one beaver family for many years. In the future, the island could serve as a pilot site for the systematic implementation of ‘beaver management’ tools that ensure the sustainable coexistence of the urban environment and the beaver population, taking into account the interests of both the ecosystem and humans,” said Bashinsky.

He noted that beavers were exterminated in the vicinity of Moscow as early as the 16th–17th centuries, and after 300–400 years of absence, they did not return to the city immediately. Attempts to reintroduce them began in the mid‑20th century – animals were brought from Belarus and the Voronezh Region, although not all releases were successful due to deforestation and swamp drainage. By the late 1990s, beavers reached the capital, and today, within the old boundaries of Moscow alone, there are about 250 individuals, mainly in the western districts – Strogino, Pokrovskoye‑Streshnevo, Mitino, Khoroshevo‑Mnevniki – as well as along the Setun, Yauza, and Skhodnya rivers. Beavers predominantly settle in park areas where natural riparian zones and wetland habitats are preserved. At the same time, there are already examples of successful coexistence between beavers and people in Moscow. For instance, in the Pokrovskoye‑Streshnevo and Yauza parks, ecological trails run around large beaver settlements, allowing continuous observation of the beavers and all the changes they bring to the landscape.

Photo courtesy of vladimircech on Magnific.