Beaver shots*

Returning to the quite incredible news that there are beavers in the city of  Gorinchem: 

Beaver photographer Bas Breetveld changed my mind about how a beaver could have reached our town: apparently there is a colony just south of the river - almost under the motorway bridge near Woudrichem - who have two lodges. This most probably indicates  that the Gorinchem beaver (or beavers) made their way eastwards from the Biesbosch along the south side of the big river and then did a Big Swim northwards to reach our over-populated shores. 

Good on ya, beavers!

Bas sounded somewhat surprised in his e-mail: apparently beaver families usually kick their young, recalcitrant offspring out in the summer, giving the 3-year old youngsters the chance to set off and establish their own families in the balmy warm months. Whatever possessed these guys to start chewing on trees in the middle of Gorinchem in February? Perhaps overcrowding: these could be "Tramp Beavers". 

Heaven help us: beavers who just wander around with no sense of community and set up shop wherever it best suits them. What is the world coming to?

One thing's fer sure: these animals are DETERMINED. Read this account of how a North American town tried to get rid of them: 

Dang and blast them beavers!


... and here are Bas's quite breathtaking photos of beavers in the Biesbosch:

Beavers in the Biesbosch.


If you want, you can go on a beaver-safari with him. He guarantees a 100% chance of seeing the little hooligans for yourself. Check it out here:

Beaverwatch.

* shameless effort to generate more blog-traffic