Reviving the Eurasian beaver population

European beavers are making a comeback all across the continent. Here in the marshlands of eastern Germany, as elsewhere in Europe, they were hunted close to extinction. Today the beavers are recovering slowly thanks to widespread reintroduction programs. Protecting the beavers has also required preserving their habitat and this is good for other wildlife.

A penduline tit is busy putting the finishing touches to its nest.

Beavers move with an awkward waddle on land, but in water they are graceful and proficient swimmers. The beaver's home can only be reached via an underwater entrance. The dome-like lodge is constructed from branches and mud. It houses an extended family of parents, young kits and yearlings from the previous spring. Young beavers are born with their eyes open and can swim within 24 hours of being born. These small kits are less than two weeks old, but within a few days they will venture outside with their parents. The young kits will live in the parental den for two to three years, before they're ready to leave and raise their own family. In all likelihood, they will set up home in the neighborhood, maybe just a few meters downstream from their parents.