Ulaanbaatar
Beavers reintroduced to headwaters of Tuul River
Environment
Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ 34 Eurasian beavers were brought from Russia and Germany in 2012 to reduce ecosystem degradation and improve Tuul River’s ecological condition through increased water storage. Between 2012 and 2020, a total of 57 beavers were reintroduced to the headwaters of Tuul River and Zaan and Terelj Rivers.
This year, as part of the ‘Beaver breeding and reintroduction center’ project, a beaver gave birth to a litter of five kits and the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park Administration Office, together with researchers of the National University of Mongolia, relocated six beavers to 2nd bag of Tuv aimag’s Erdene soum to have them build dams to create and maintain wetlands. There are plans to increase the beaver population in the headwaters of Tuul River to 100-150, which will allow them to become less vulnerable to natural and human risks and naturally grow in numbers.
Beaver is classified as extremely rare under the Law on Fauna of Mongolia and the country banned beaver hunting in 1930. The beaver population is in decline not only locally, but also globally and the animal has become regionally endangered. There are two extant beaver species - the North American beaver and the Eurasian beaver – and Mongolia is home to the latter.
