2025-05-30 11:07:33

A family of beavers has pulled off an engineering feat that’s saved Czech taxpayers over £1 million by building dams.

Officials planned to construct a man-made barrier at a former military training site near Prague, to protect the Klabava River and its endangered crayfish population from polluted runoff coming from two nearby ponds.

The proposed project, first approved in 2018, would have also transformed the site into a thriving wetland, but years of hold-ups – due to land negotiations – meant work never got underway.

A group of beavers quietly moved in and created a network of pools and channels – flooding the area without waiting for permits or construction crews.

They then shifted their attention to a surrounding gulley where conservationists had hoped to install smaller dams to manage overflow.

Before any human intervention could begin, the animals had already started raising at least four natural dams – and were continuing the work.

Beavers are often praised for their role in controlling floods, filtering water, and boosting biodiversity.

While they’re not always welcome guests – especially where farmland is concerned – this particular site has been protected since 2016 and is far from any agricultural zones.

Fišer added, “It’s full service: beavers are absolutely fantastic and when they are in an area where they can’t cause damage, they do a brilliant job.”

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