Bieber fans did not want to be identified and declined to be interviewed.
But in a short statement, they said they were trying to “right the wrongs of the past and use the best natural processes available to us to bring life back to blighted and depleted waterways.” .
The first beaver was introduced to Italy in 2020.
The first beavers are thought to have been introduced in two locations in central Italy in 2020. Since then, beavers have rapidly spread to several other regions, from Lombardy in the north to Campania, Molise and Abruzzo in the south.
A beaver war is brewing between activists who are releasing beavers into the wild and government officials and scientists.
Reintroduction advocates say the Eurasian beaver is native to Italy and has every right to live there.
driven to extinction by hunting
Beavers were driven to extinction about five centuries ago by hunting for their fur and castoleum, a musky secretion from the animal’s scent glands that was used for perfumery and medicinal purposes. It was commonly found in Italy until then.
Its healing powers were recorded by the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates.
Conservationists say beavers provide enormous benefits to the ecosystem. Building lodges (houses made of sticks and branches) and dams regulate water flow and reduce the risk of flooding during heavy rains. Their dams act as filters, purifying the water as it passes through the river. Their engineering efforts create ponds that provide habitat for fish, insects, and other mammals. For example, in central Italy’s Abruzzo region, otters breed in areas where beavers live.
“As beaver numbers increase, biodiversity increases, and we desperately need biodiversity,” Barriviera said.
But government scientists and local officials take a different view.
dangerous president
They argue that the guerrilla reintroduction of beavers could set a dangerous precedent and encourage other activists to release other species.