Once hunted to the brink of extinction, the Eurasian beaver is staging a comeback.

Nature · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The Eurasian beaver was nearly wiped out by the early 20th century, with only 1,200 individuals remaining. Today, thanks to extensive reintroduction programs and protection, the population has surged to at least 1.5 million. This remarkable recovery spans from Western Europe to Mongolia, marking a major environmental success story.

The Eurasian beaver, scientifically named Castor fiber by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, was once a widespread species across the continent. Driven by the demand for its fur and castoreum—a glandular secretion historically valued for medicinal properties—the animal faced near-extinction. By the early 1900s, only eight isolated populations remained, totaling roughly 1,200 individuals. This decline was so severe that the species was extirpated from many European nations, including Spain, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

Recovery efforts began in earnest during the 20th century. In Russia, a 1922 hunting ban and the creation of state reserves, such as the Voronezh State Reserve in 1927, provided a critical foundation. Across the Soviet Union, nearly 17,000 beavers were translocated between 1927 and 2004 to restore their former range. Similar projects occurred across Europe, from France’s Rhône valley to the Sava and Drava rivers in Croatia. By 2020, these efforts culminated in a population estimate of at least 1.5 million, with about 83% of these animals residing in the former Soviet Union.

Despite their superficial resemblance to the North American beaver, the two species are genetically distinct. The Eurasian beaver possesses 48 chromosomes, compared to 40 in its North American counterpart, making interspecific breeding highly unlikely. Genetic analysis in 2005 identified two primary phylogroups—western and eastern—though these do not warrant subspecific status. While the resurgence is largely celebrated, it has led to increased human-beaver encounters, including rare, fatal incidents. Today, the species is listed as least concern, though it remains absent from certain regions like the southern Balkans and parts of the Middle East.

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