Beavers causing problems at famous south Moravian park

Towards the end of the 19th century the European beaver disappeared from this part of the world, due to over-hunting for meat and pelts. The animal was reintroduced in the Czech Republic in the early 1990s, with some of the country's beaver population also "immigrating" from Austria and Bavaria.

Photo: CTK

The reemergence of beavers and other wild animals in the Czech Republic in recent years is generally seen as a good thing. But now Lednice in south Moravia is having problems with its beavers; the population has got out of hand, causing headaches for local zoologists.

The creatures have been wreaking destruction in the park at Lednice chateau. The famous chateau park merges seamlessly with the surrounding landscape and has been nicknamed the Garden of Paradise; it is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Photo: CTK

The problem is that nothing can be done to quell their numbers - there's nowhere to move them to. It is forbidden to release beavers into the wild without permission, and many localities don't want them, due to their reputation for causing damage.

Some have been moved to different parts of Lednice Park, but the animal's territorial nature has led to fights, sometimes resulting in death.

One solution has been proposed: the creation of a kind of "beaver map" with different zones which would clearly define the areas the semi-aquatic rodents are allowed to inhabit.