Biber stronghold of North Rhine-Westphalia: Plage or Natural Wonder? An unsolved dilemma!

Biber stronghold of North Rhine-Westphalia: Plage or Natural Wonder? An unsolved dilemma!

North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) faces a new challenge: the beaver has spread greatly in recent years and is now considered a notorious problem. According to an estimate, between 1,500 and 2,000 beavers currently live in NRW, especially along the Rur in the Eifel. Almost extinct 150 years ago, the animals are now making a name for themselves, because the municipalities are powerless. The beaver is under protection, which makes it difficult to solve conflicts. Ruhr24.de reports that ...

The problems that occur through the return of the beaver are diverse and significant. Floods, clogged pipes and unstable hiking trails are just a few of the consequences of its activities. In the Heinsberg district in particular, many citizens see the beaver as a plague, especially in the vicinity of the district house. In addition, traces of the animals were discovered on the Emscher in the Ruhr area, which further illustrates the spread and influence of the beaver.

a guide for better management

To improve the Situation, the North Rhine-Westphalian state government plans to publish a "beaver management plan". This guide is intended to support nature conservation authorities and other institutions in order to get conflicts under control with the beavers. The plan will be discussed in March and then published to meet the requirements of different interest groups.

An important forum for the exchange about the topic was the specialist conference on beaver management, which took place on March 30, 2023 in Kirchlengern. Around 80 experts, including employees from official institutions, biological stations and planning offices, discussed the current spread of the beaver in North Rhine -Westphalia. The challenges and opportunities associated with the return of the beaver were also discussed in detail. nua.nrw informed about ...

effects on the environment and society

The conference offered insights into the positive and negative effects of the beaver on nature. Dr. Lutz Dalbeck from the Biological Station Düren reported that half of the estimated 1,500 beavers live in the Düren large region. The participants also learned from the ecological advantages that the animals can bring as "ecosystem engineers", for example by improving the biodiversity in the habitats they create.

On the other hand, it turned out that the changes in the landscapes do not encounter everywhere. Agricultural and water management requirements must be brought into harmony with the beaver's habitat in order to meet both the needs of people and the ecological requirements. These challenges are also made by experts like Dr. Matthias Kaiser from Lanuv and Jürgen Schieren discussed from the Eifel-Rur water association, who discussed pragmatic approaches to coexistence with the beaver.