Meddlesome beavers shot in Limburg plan to save infrastructure

Around a dozen beavers were shot in Limburg in an effort to protect infrastructure in the province, making Limburg the first province in which this protected species is culled. The shooting of these animals was ordered by Limburg water board Waterschap Limburg after they got permission from the province, RTL Nieuws reports.

Waterschap Limburg manager Har Frenken called this culling a "sad thing" to 1Limburg. According to him the animals that were killed are "problem beavers" from one family that endanger water safety by gnawing at trees until they fall over and by undermining roads.

The water board is currently trying to capture and move other beavers from this same family. "We're first trying to 'bully them away'. If that doesn't work, we'll kill them", Frenken said. The water board isn't happy about this, he added. "We find it tragic that due to a lack of natural enemies it had to come this far. Next time we have to consider it better."

Around 15 years ago 35 beavers were introduced to Limburg, according to NOS. Now the province is home to around 700 of the animals. If no measures are taken, that number will double in the next few years.