It is thought the beaver went extinct in Romania around 1824, after they were hunted for the fur, meat and castoreum (a secretion from their scent gland used for its medicinal properties). In fact the European beaver disappeared from most of Europe at the same time. In 1998 they were reintroduced to the Olt Valley and from there they have successfully recolonised most of the Hartibaciu river and its tributaries, where you can now see signs of their activity.

Wherever beavers occur, it doesn’t stay a secret for long. Some people are fascinated how such a small animal can change a river in such a short time, for others their behaviour of bringing down trees, damming rivers or flooding areas only creates problems. However it is exactly this behaviour that makes them such an important animal to river ecosystems. The areas of dammed water create slow moving, deeper pools and then below it areas of faster flowing water. This variation in the watercourse and increased structure (such as dead wood) to the river provides shelter for young fish and other animals.

How do you feel about beavers recolonising the region?