Written by A. Andrés Duany, CNN • Updated 19th May 2019
Beavers are famous for scampering across mountain sides and canoeing down rivers, and plenty of natural wonders feature their burrowing pals. As author and biologist John Tierney wrote in 1993’s Beavers: The Bizarre Story of the Killer Mammal that Changed the World: “They are one of the purest biological specimens you can find on Earth. His name is never going to be known by anyone else.”
Still, they can’t get enough attention in Canada.
The inland bison may claim the most abundant habitats, but it’s the bear and beaver that feature most on scenic maps.
Even the dodo, considered extinct long ago in Australia, isn’t as well-known as beavers, though in a memorable story, Tierney said an underwater photo of the species and the children nearby made the news.
The suspicion on this side of the border is that beavers are a novelty, popping up all over the country to inspire tourists to check out one of Canada’s most special natural monuments.
Depending on which scientists and other experts are telling the truth, beavers are ubiquitous from the Pacific Northwest all the way to south of Montreal.