Poland blames beavers for floods

[Kshasty]

Beavers are partly to blame for floods in Poland which have already killed 15 people, the Daily Telegraph said on Wednesday citing Polish Interior Minister Jerzy Miller.

"The greatest enemy of the flood defenses is an animal called the beaver. They live everywhere along the levees on the Vistula River and cause a lot of damage to them," Miller said.

Beavers, whose population in Poland is around 50,000, build tunnels in dams and embankments weakening them, he said.

Polish authorities have increased the hunting quota on beavers because of the floods caused by them.

http://en.rian.ru/strange/20100526/159165294.html

[Kaleva]

1. In the right situation...

beavers can be very helpful in controlling flooding and in combating the effects of drought.

[dipsydoodle]

2. Yes they build tunnels

from the bank laterally, and uphill a bit inland ,into a dry hole where they can sleep in peace and quite whilst being adequately protected. I only know that cos I watched tv program about them here in the UK 2 days ago. Nice little critters which are being re-intrOduced into the UK to increase their population size.

[happyslug]

7. That is more common among European Beavers then North American Beavers

It is a subtle difference between the two species, probably do to the fact North America was naturally more forest covered then was Europe. A further difference is that North America has a huge area of relatively flat land (The Mississippi River Valley. The Great Plains, the Midwest, Ontario and the Great lakes region, and the MacKenzie River and Hudson Bay area), while Europe has a more hilly terrain (until you get to the Steeps, then it looks like the Great Plains). This difference in terrain and forest covers seems to have encourages American Beavers to build dams more then the European Beavers.

Please note this seems to be a trait more then anything else, both Species will borrow instead of setting up lodges when that is called for. The difference appears to be American Beavers will set up dams and lodges in an area where European Beaver will just borrow. French European beavers were believed to have lost the ability to make a dam till an experiment of about 15-20 years ago, where they were permitted to live till about age three and at that age (A age for French Beavers for the last couple of hundred years) started to build dams. On the other hand North American Beavers tend to build dams almost from the time they leave their parents lodge and it is rarer for North American Beavers to just borrow into the ground (Not unheard of, but rarer).

While both the European and North American Beavers fill the same niche (But on two different continents) they are two different species that seem to have evolved into the same niche via two different rodents (and as a result have an overall similar style of living, BUT with differences that are notable if subtle). The problem with the flooding seems to be related to European Beavers and they greater tendency to borrow under earthen levies, more then imported American Beaver and their greater tendency to build dams.

[happyslug]

3. European or American Beavers?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver

http://mammals.suite101.com/article.cfm/beaver_facts

European Beavers (which until the middle of the 20th century was thought to be the same species as the North American Beavers. later found out these two species are completely separate species) has a greater tendency NOT to build a lodge compared to the North America Beavers. This sounds like European Beavers NOT North American Beavers (Both Species are now in Europe, North American Beavers were exported to various European countries in the early 20th century till it was found that the two species were two different species).

[whyverne]

4. June Cleaver: "Ward, I'm very worried about the Beaver."

[Submariner]

5. Poland must have very horny Beavers

[pscot]

6. Making the world safe for humans

One beaver at a time.

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. It's not just the beavers, it's ... the voles!

"Beavers dig tunnels in the flood defences, weakening them from inside. But they are not alone, there are also water voles," Pawel Fratczak, Poland's national fire brigade spokesman said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/poland/7764347/Beavers-responsible-for-Polands-flooding.html

And they are working together in a coalition ...

“The beavers have been digging tunnels into the flood defences,” Pawel Fratczak, of Poland ’s national fire brigade, said.

“They are sapping the walls from inside. And they are being assisted by water voles.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7137047.ece

Oh yes, they laughed when I chose my screen name. They thought voles were cuddly. What possible harm can voles do, they sneered. They wouldn't listen. But now it's a conspriacy of rodents! I knew it, with their little squeaks and twitchy noses. Did you see that one scurrying across the White House steps? I tell you, they're infiltrating the highest levels of the American government!

[NNadir]

9. .

:rofl:

:bounce:

:applause:

[Nihil]

10. You must have chortled when you saw those reports!

Justification at last!

:rofl:

[eppur_se_muova]

11. !

:rofl: