Beavers sink their teeth into centuries-old trees at Amerongen Castle
Beavers have discovered the centuries-old beech trees on the estate of Amerongen Castle. Twelve trees have already been affected and the beavers have even managed to gnaw one tree all the way through. At the castle they are very worried. "It is horrible and because of the protected status of the beavers, we can't do anything about it," garden boss Ruud Elbertse told RTV Utrecht. "They keep chewing on and all the trees are going to go."
The beavers discovered the terrain about two years ago. It seemed innocent at first, with willows on which gnawing marks appeared, but since a few months the centuries-old beech trees also have to believe in it.
"They somehow have a huge preference for beech bark. That was actually new to us," says Waronne Elbers, head of public affairs at Amerongen Castle. And that preference now leaves its mark. "Several beech trees have been gnawed all around, interrupting the sap flow. Then no more sap can come from the ground at the top of the tree and the tree will eventually die."
How many beavers there are at the castle is not clear. Elbers has spotted them a few times. "At least we know there are two. If the beavers also have young, there are probably about six of them. That would explain the amount of trees that have been affected.
Electric fence
Solving the problem is complicated, because beavers are a protected species. Therefore, they should not be chased away, let alone hunted.
To make the trees less attractive, electric fences will soon be placed around the castle. "We try to do that as quickly as possible, but it's quite a large surface area. There was not even 2 kilometers of electric fence in stock." The hope is that the beavers will then find another place to settle and that the old beech trees can be saved.
https://nos.nl/artikel/2412794-bevers-zetten-hun-tanden-in-eeuwenoude-bomen-bij-kasteel-amerongen