“The beaver has found a place in a world profoundly modified by man”

The Cross: In 2024, your association celebrated the 50th anniversary of the reintroduction of the beaver to the Loire. So there is (still) good news in terms of nature protection?

Remi Luglia: They are rare but indeed, the beaver represents a great success! There were a few dozen in France at the beginning of the 20th century, it had been almost eradicated… Today there are around 25,000 spread over 18,000 km of rivers.

This is all the more remarkable as the history of cohabitation with this animal has long been tragic. The beaver has been present for millions of years in Europe. But in Antiquity and then in the Middle Ages, it was increasingly hunted for its fur, its flesh and the castoreum, the oil it secretes and which is highly prized by perfumers. In the 19th century, persecution worsened because it was accused of being a pest: of breaking through dikes, flooding crops… It was natural scientists who obtained its protection in 1909. A first for a wild animal In France !

But it still had to be reintroduced. What happened?

R. L. : Although it gradually returned, it had disappeared from certain basins, such as the Loire, and it was difficult for it to return alone. Its reintroduction was due to the wishes of a few enthusiasts: in 1974, they introduced 13 individuals near Blois, taken from the Rhône. This operation made it possible to repopulate the entire Loire.

The beaver cuts down trees along watercourses, which creates a mosaic of habitats for insects, dragonflies and amphibians which return massively to areas where they are present. Finally, it restores ecosystems that have been damaged by humans to good condition.

The beneficial effects are numerous: the dams it builds slow down the flow of water, which limits flooding while allowing species to circulate. These dams also act as natural sewage treatment plants, which improve water quality. More broadly, its action contributes to the creation of new wetlands which make us more resilient to droughts.

And you, in all this? What relationship do you have with this animal?

R. L. : I have great admiration for the beaver. It is a very adaptable mammal, which can be found even in the heart of cities like Lyon, Tours, Blois… It has managed to find a place in a world largely modified by man.

I am also amazed by his ability to organize his living space: adults and young people alike work to constantly refill the wooden hut and keep the dams in good condition. What is fascinating is that it certainly modifies its environment, but for the benefit of all living beings. And then, they live in families, in the form of small, close-knit clans: they are a very social animal!

And yet, his return does not please everyone…

R. L. : I agree: everything is not rosy. The presence of beavers can interfere with forestry and arboriculture and flood fields near watercourses. You have to agree to give this animal space, often ten to twenty meters from the shore. Its return requires anticipation and support so as not to leave economic actors alone facing the problem. But ultimately, we must also overcome a cultural question: it is difficult for our societies to accept that a wild animal forces us to adapt.

What lessons can we learn from this?

R. L. : I like to say that the beaver is a conduit of nature: it is an animal which arouses real sympathy, and which can lead us to consider differently the place we give to nature. Many see it as something that should be completely mastered, limited to a predetermined area. However, living things are not a negligible quantity: all species have their legitimacy and the right to exist. Cohabitation sometimes requires effort, but we have a duty to protect fragile species.

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His inspiration. A quote

“Nature needs protection and this is [notre] role [d’]prevent individual and collective selfishness from squandering a heritage of beauty which belongs to all. »