Beaver consultant Max Wolf is shocked.
A beaver was apparently poisoned on the lake shore between Mangfallsteg and Kaltenbrunn.
The toxicological investigation is still ongoing.
Gmund – beavers are among the most loved and hated rodents.
One thing is certain: They are particularly protected in Europe and are regarded as the "motor" of biological diversity.
Studies confirm that it makes a useful contribution to climate protection.
A fire brigade operation last weekend showed that beavers are also at home on Lake Tegernsee: On the night of Sunday (November 6th) there was a fallen tree on the B 307, which was probably caused by a rodent near the Prince's Chapel.
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Beaver consultant Max Wolf
© THOMAS PLETTENBERG
Now a rather sad incident has become known: in Gmund, on the lake shore between the Mangfallsteg and Kaltenbrunn, a beaver was apparently poisoned.
He had to be put out of his suffering by a hunter.
The toxicological investigation has not yet been completed.
Beaver apparently poisoned: A hunter had to put him out of his misery
A week ago on Saturday, Max Wolf's phone rang, one of the four beaver consultants in the Miesbach district and responsible for Lake Tegernsee.
It was the turn of the police and they informed him that walkers had discovered a beaver lying motionless in a ditch on the shore of the lake in Gmund, between Mangfallsteg and Kaltenbrunn.
"I drove off immediately," reports Otterfinger, "I examined whether the animal was showing any reactions." He spent an hour with the animal, "but the beaver was getting weaker and weaker," reports Wolf.
So he decided to drive the 30-kilo animal to Michael Vermeulen, the district's beaver manager.
"He then commissioned a hunter to put the animal out of its suffering."
Beaver apparently poisoned: Toxicological investigation is ongoing
Further investigations should now prove what Wolf already suspected on site: "The beaver was apparently poisoned.
It is known, for example, that rat poison dissolves the white blood cells and the animal bleeds to death internally.” This could be the case with the beaver from Gmund, because during his examination he did not find any violence.
This is confirmed by the pathological examination, the results of which are already available to the district office.
"An act of violence could not be determined," said district office spokeswoman Sophie Stadler when asked.
Due to the symptoms found on site, which gave the impression that poisoning could be present, a toxicological examination was also ordered, according to Stadler.
The cadaver is currently being examined in a clinic in Munich.
The result is not yet available.
For Wolf it is a mystery who could have killed the beaver.
"I know from people living near the Mangfall that they have nothing against the beaver." If the poisoning is confirmed, then it would not be an isolated case.
"Last year at Easter we had a similar case in Tegernsee-Süd," the consultant recalls.
It is difficult for him to say how many beavers live in Tegernsee.
“There are a lot of hikers.
Nothing is currently known about a real beaver den.” Max Wolf assumes that maybe three or four beavers have been living in the Mangfall area since 2013.
There used to be specimens at the Grünen Wasserl.
A total of maybe 50 animals could stay in the district.
As a beaver advisor, Wolf is there to provide the wild animal with a habitat and to prevent conflicts between humans and animals.
Unfortunately, in the case of the dead beaver on the shore of the lake in Gmund, any help came too late.
You can read more information about the region here.
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