Beavers have been spotted in Italy for the first time since the 16th century, when they became extinct as they were trapped for their fur and gland secretions.
The first Eurasian beaver since then was spotted in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, near Italy’s borders with Austria and Slovenia. It’s believed to have crossed the border from Austria, where a beaver population has been reviving.
Wildlife officials set camera traps to spot the animal after local residents reported gnawed trees and unusual tracks in the area. Once common from Britain to China, Eurasian beavers have been reintroduced in parts of the area in recent years, but this is a first for Italy.
