The town of Pickering in North Yorkshire, England, is safe from flooding until further notice, and thanks to the area’s beavers, the 7,000 locals can sleep soundly.
For three years, the animals had been building a dam using wood. Now, the “project” is finished and it is nothing less than the biggest barrier made by the species in England, according to the Daily Star.
The beaver family was moved to the Seven River in the expectation that they would build dams, as Pickering has suffered from severe flooding for years due to heavy water flows from land north of the city.
The rodents were brought to the city by Natural England and New York’s Moors National Park after the Environmental Agency said it could not develop a multimillion-dollar flood defense scheme to help Pickering.
Cath Bashforth, an ecologist at Forestry England, said the animals are transforming the site and creating a dynamic environment with a diversified range of habitats.
“We are seeing an increase in the number of otters and we are seeing kingfisher species and gray wagtails more regularly,” he explained.
“They [os castores] they also moved a large group of iris flowers from the middle of a pond and replanted them along their dam to attract more wildlife. They build a whole atmosphere,” Cath told the Daily Star.
Residents of the region believe that this is a very positive example of natural elements being used intelligently.
“As well as saving a considerable amount of money on building flood defense structures, it benefits local animals,” commented Joy Andrews, city councilor.
*Intern at R7under the supervision of Raphael Hakime