"Beaver Worsened Flood Damage?"... Experts React to Polish Prime Minister's Claim

Polish Prime Minister "Flood Damage Worsened by Beaver"
Biologist Criticizes as "Nonsense Claim"

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The Polish Prime Minister's remarks have sparked controversy amid unprecedented flooding damage in Poland.

According to Politico on the 25th (local time), Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of Poland, stated at a recent flood crisis response team meeting that "the safety of dams and levees is being threatened by beavers." He added, "Sometimes we have to choose between love for animals and the safety of cities and levees," and said, "We will take all possible measures within the law to protect the levees from beavers. The levees are currently an absolute priority." The Prime Minister's remarks came amid flooding caused by heavy rains that recently struck Central and Eastern Europe. In particular, Poland and the Czech Republic suffered significant damage, with at least 24 people dead and major infrastructure submerged. Some researchers have argued that "beavers can damage riverbanks and weaken levees by building dams and digging burrows."

However, several experts strongly criticized Prime Minister Tusk's remarks blaming beavers for the flood damage. Andrzej Czech, an environmental biologist and beaver expert, expressed outrage, saying, "This is nonsense. The government is using beavers purely for political purposes." He pointed out, "Hunters who want to remove beavers and farmers are strong lobbying groups of the Polish Peasant Party (PSL), Tusk's coalition partner," and argued, "Farmers dislike beavers because they sometimes enter fields and damage crops. Hunters want to hunt beavers to receive compensation paid by taxes." He also warned, "Beaver hunting will lead to massive habitat destruction and public outrage." Gerhard Schwab, an ecologist and beaver expert, also explained, "Beavers have many benefits. Poland should not kill beavers just to protect dams," adding, "Beaver dams obstruct the flow of rivers and help retain water during floods. In Bavaria, Germany, beaver dams have prevented village floods for many years."

Meanwhile, beavers are mammals that live near water and build dams with branches and other materials to create their homes. It is known that about 1.2 million beavers currently inhabit Europe.