Sopot beavers granted dedicated ecological habitat
The local beaver population in Sopot has been given ownership of part of the city by the authorities. Their contribution to the area has revitalised nature in an urban environment.
In 2010, the first beaver family arrived at Sopot by walking along the shores of the Baltic Sea. As of 2020, a count of the animals revealed that the seaside resort now has three beaver families residing near the Swelina Stream and around the Mazowiecki Pond. It is assumed that these beavers chose this quiet spot because tourists do not frequent it. However, they like to visit the nearby Sopot beach in the morning and evening.
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A protected habitat was created for the beavers of Sopot
To protect both the beavers and the residents of Mazowiecki Pond in Poland, an environmental use (Polish: użytek ekologiczny) has been established. This is one of the ways nature is protected in Poland. The City Hall official, Marcin Nizołek, stated in a Polsat News report that the area will cover approximately 3.5 hectares and will be a place where nature is safeguarded. To prevent any damage, the largest trees in the area have been made inaccessible to the busy rodents.
Dr Adam Zwolicki from the University of Gdansk also spoke in the report, explaining that beavers play a crucial role in stimulating natural processes and restoring nature to its original state, which was disturbed by human interference. Thanks to the beavers' efforts, the Swelina Stream valley has now transformed into a vibrant green oasis.
Beavers: Animal protection symbol in Poland
According to the WWF Poland website, the beaver has been a symbol of animal protection in Poland since the 11th century. The species was the first to be covered by this protection. Despite this, beavers nearly went extinct in Poland because their warm fur is a popular export product. However, in the 20th century, successful efforts were made to restore the population. Currently, the European beaver in Poland is under partial protection, with bans in place on the destruction of feeding grounds and beaver dams, as well as the killing of these animals.
Residents of Sopot also spoke out for polsatnews.pl. One of them stressed: "There is no need to fight nature. Moreover, it is worth doing everything possible to coexist with it."
According to one of Sopot residents, quoted by Polsat News, "There is no need to fight nature. Moreover, it is worth doing everything possible to coexist with it."
Source: polsatnews.pl
