Beavers & South America

In some conservation circles, there has been a lot of talk lately about the newly planned damns in southern Chile. In some ways, its a classic debate: finding a balance between energy needs and preserving wild places. But a different kind of damn is a much larger threat to southern South America: beaver damns. North American beavers were introduced to Tierra del Fuego island back in the mid 1950s; today they have spread throughout the island and onto the mainland - covering more than 14 million hectares, and causing widespread ecosystem damage. Over the past year, I have been part for a feasibility team commissioned by the governments of Chile and Argentina to gauge whether eradication is possible.

The bad news is that in all my travels to countless islands that have been completely devastated by invasive mammals, I have never seen the kind of damage I've have seen in southern South America due to beavers. The good news is the eradication is possible, given the proper resources and leadership. But, it won't be cheap and will require the support of the international conservation community. Let's hope they are up for it, because beavers are making their way to Patagonia. The next few years will be the make or break point for one of the world's last wild places.

See an article in last week's Nature Magazine for more info.