Beaver trappers needed, Argentina

[Humptulips]

Here you go for the adventurous.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-37973825

[elkboy]

I worked on some forestry research on the southern beech forests down there in the late 1990's.  The beaver had a tremendous impact in some areas.  We all joked about selling "ecologically-correct" fur coats to well-heeled Seattleites.  That would have made for some interesting conversations at cocktail parties in Magnolia or Madison Park, I think...

If the beaver ever made it across the Straits of Magellan to the Patagonian mainland, it would be an ecological catastrophe. 

[trapperguy22]

Bruce,
This is funny about a month ago I talked to a friend of mine back east. Who was telling me that he was going down there to train people to trap and get rid of beavers. Last I knew they were waiting on funding. I will have to call soon and see how it went.

[predatorpro]

How do I sign up?

[htdwell]

Introductions of beaver in Finland (Lahti and Helminen 1974), Asian Kamchatka (Safonov 1979), Argentina (Lizarralde 1993), and other locations have resulted in the establishment of viable populations beyond their original range in North America. For example, 25 mated pairs of beaver were introduced (as a captive population) to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, in 1946 to establish a fur industry. Animals that later escaped or were intentionally released resulted in a viable wild population. This population rapidly expanded in the absence of predators and other natural population controls, causing a substantial impact on native southern beech (Nothofagus) forests (Lizarralde 1993).

[Tracker0721]

That would be awesome. I'd be game for some trapping and .17 hmr play in a foreign country.

[JimmyHoffa]

Introductions of beaver in Finland (Lahti and Helminen 1974), Asian Kamchatka (Safonov 1979), Argentina (Lizarralde 1993), and other locations have resulted in the establishment of viable populations beyond their original range in North America. For example, 25 mated pairs of beaver were introduced (as a captive population) to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, in 1946 to establish a fur industry. Animals that later escaped or were intentionally released resulted in a viable wild population. This population rapidly expanded in the absence of predators and other natural population controls, causing a substantial impact on native southern beech (Nothofagus) forests (Lizarralde 1993).

It says absence of predators, but they have lots of cougars (pumas as they call them) in Argentina and Chile.  Do their cougars not like to eat beavers?

[Timberstalker]

Introductions of beaver in Finland (Lahti and Helminen 1974), Asian Kamchatka (Safonov 1979), Argentina (Lizarralde 1993), and other locations have resulted in the establishment of viable populations beyond their original range in North America. For example, 25 mated pairs of beaver were introduced (as a captive population) to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, in 1946 to establish a fur industry. Animals that later escaped or were intentionally released resulted in a viable wild population. This population rapidly expanded in the absence of predators and other natural population controls, causing a substantial impact on native southern beech (Nothofagus) forests (Lizarralde 1993).

It says absence of predators, but they have lots of cougars (pumas as they call them) in Argentina and Chile.  Do their cougars not like to eat beavers?

I've met a few cougars that eat beavers.