Rare Tuvan beaver may be resettled in the Baikal region to preserve the population

Recently, the genetic purity of the species has been threatened by the aggressive European beaver, which is displacing its Tuvan counterpart.

The Tuvan beaver lived in isolation in the Azassky Reserve for a long time. Now it has begun to be crowded out by the larger and more aggressive European beaver, which leaves no chance for the local species. Experts record the appearance of hybrids even within the boundaries of the reserve.

Already in the first generation of cubs, which appeared from the crossing of two types of beaver, the distinctive features of the Tuvan beaver are lost. In particular, light weight, white vibrissae and white spots on the coat of the chest and skin of the membranes of the hind legs disappear.

The behavior of animals is also changing. The European beaver builds dams and huts, and also gnaws on coniferous trees. Unlike him, the Tuvan prefers to live in burrows and not make dams, besides, he does not touch larches, pines and cedars.

According to experts, it is impossible to stop the advance of European beavers into Siberia. The animal settles rather quickly, and it is artificially difficult to regulate its numbers. In this regard, employees of the Azas Reserve took part in an extraordinary meeting of the scientific and technical council at the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Reserved Baikal Region". They spoke about the need to save the Red Book Tuvan beaver.

The discussion was attended by specialists from the service for the protection and use of wildlife of the Irkutsk region, representatives of the departments of biology and game science, professor of the department of natural sciences from three Siberian universities, leading researcher of the Institute of Geography. V.B. Sochavy SB RAS.

The meeting participants acknowledged the need to preserve the Tuvan beaver, but disagreed on ways to preserve the genetic purity of the species and the advisability of creating its daughter population in the Baikal region.

Now specialists will have to carefully study the expected habitat of the beaver and the hydrological regime of the rivers in its possible new home.