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Giant beaver dam visible from space
beaver dam in Canada; photo by Franklin Vera Pacheco (source: Wikimedia Commons)
A massive beaver dam discovered in the forests of Northern Alberta, Canada is the world’s largest. So big that it is visible from space, the dam – located in Alberta’s Wood Buffalo National Park – measures 2,790 feet (850 meters) long.
Known as ‘nature’s builders’, beavers construct dams out of mud, stone and timber in order to give themselves still, deep water for access to food and protection from predators. Beavers also build lodges within the calm waters created by the dams. The lodges have two rooms: one for drying off and one for living. Since beavers are nocturnal, they build their dams and lodges primarily at night.
From an article in the Telegraph:
The dams are an important part of the ecology and wider environment and climate change can be judged by the spread of the dams.
European Beavers – a species distinct from its North American cousin – became extinct in the UK as early as the 16th century, but have recently been reintroduced in small numbers.
by Graham Land
Additional resources:
Herald Sun – Dam built by Canadian beavers can be seen from space
Tags: Alberta, beaver, beavers, Canada, dam, dams, lodges, space, visible
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