The beaver returns to Brussels

Beavers have now been spotted in Brussels again for the first time in two hundred years. This will be a boon for the city's ecosystem. 

In the Middle Ages, the beaver felt at home throughout Europe, including in Belgium, but in the 19th century, the animal suffered a significant blow. People began to hunt the beaver for its fur, its meat and for the strong odorant it secretes to mark its territory, which is known as castoreum and was especially sought after in the perfume industry. And before long, the largest rodent on our continent was gone. Until animals were released into the wild again in the 1990s. A proficient swimmer, the beaver is now expanding its territory at lightning speed. Several thousand specimens have now established themselves in our regions, even in urban areas. And that now also includes Brussels. More specifically, at a spot where the river Senne has been opened up. 

In any case, the return of the beaver is a boon to biodiversity and the health of our ecosystem. Beavers cut down trees to build dams and their dens, causing water reserves to build up that can sometimes be as large as a pond. That surface water is then purified in a natural way. Along with the greening of the site, the beaver's arrival will bring all kinds of flora and fauna back to the area: salamanders, amphibians, dragonflies, birds of prey, storks, house swallows, fish, lizards, to name but a few. The risk that this new resident of Brussels will cause nuisance or damage is minimal. 

Whether the Brussels beaver will hang around or is just passing through, we will have to wait and see. But it's certainly good news in every sense.