Beavers in Munich: rodents are hungry - and cut down trees on the Isar and Würm
Created: 12/20/2021, 9:06 PM
From: Claudia Schuri
The beaver's work: The animals felled several trees at the Brudermühlbrücke.
© Stanuschewski
The beaver is back at home in Munich - and is busy nibbling on trees, especially in winter.
Nevertheless, conservationists are happy about the return of the furry rodents.
Munich - Felled trees and nibbled trunks all over the Flaucher.
And at the Brudermühlbrücke there are several trees lying next to each other on the ground.
“What's going on there?” Is a question that many walkers on the Isar are currently asking.
The answer: the beaver is hungry!
"In winter there is hardly any other food, so the beavers have to resort to trees and bark," explains Angela Burkhardt-Keller, beaver expert at the Association for Nature Conservation.
In summer, on the other hand, the animals often enjoy grasses, herbs and other plants.
"And because everything is green, it is not so noticeable when they gnaw on a tree," says Burkhardt-Keller.
Beaver families back in Munich: citizens concerned about felled trees
The beaver is a strictly protected species - and is now also at home in Munich again.
© Felix Heyder / dpa
She estimates that there are around 80 to 100 beavers in the city. Their number is stable. “All areas are occupied,” she reports. Beavers live in the family bond. "At around two years of age, the cubs have to leave the precinct in early summer and look for their own." Because the number of precincts is limited, the beaver population cannot increase indefinitely. There are always turf wars. By the way: When the young move out, the chances are also greatest of being able to observe the cute-looking animals in the twilight.
Around 20 families of beavers live in Munich.
An estimated three of them are located between the Großhesseloher Brücke and the Deutsches Museum.
The animals have also settled in the English Garden, the Pasing City Park and the Nymphenburg Palace Park.
"The size of the district depends on the food supply," explains Burkhardt-Keller.
The beavers certainly do not destroy the trees
Bund nature conservation expert Angela Burkhardt-Keller
Beavers are a protected species. But many citizens are concerned about the trees being felled.
Angela Burkhardt-Keller reassures: "The beavers are not a threat and certainly do not destroy the tree population." Trees that must not be gnawed on under any circumstances would be protected with wire mesh.
And: "Beavers prefer tree species that grow quickly, such as willows and poplars," she says.
There are also conflicts in some places in Bavaria because beavers accumulate water.
“That's not a problem in Munich,” says Burkhardt-Keller.
With the stowage, the animals would ensure that the beaver castle is under water.
“That's already the case with the Isar and the Würm,” she explains.
The expert is happy about the animals.
“Beavers do a lot to protect the environment and species,” she says.
“You are a living space designer.
Beaver territories often accommodate species that are normally in alluvial forests. "