Rodent in danger

Neighbors protect themselves from beaver “Benni”

A beaver has taken up residence at Längsee, specifically at Lauer. But beaver "Benni" - as he is affectionately known - does not delight everyone.

While the residents of a small settlement in the municipality of St. Georgen am Längsee are delighted with their four-legged neighbor - affectionately known as "Benni" - community representatives have declared war on the rodent.

Residents are happy about "Benni"
"The beaver doesn't bother us at all, even though some of our properties are slightly flooded," said a concerned resident to the "Krone" newspaper. This is because "Benni's" dams have already been destroyed several times - illegally, because in Carinthia any intervention in the beaver's habitat is only permitted after a site inspection by an expert in wildlife biology from the Carinthian provincial government and may only be carried out by this expert.

But the actually protected beaver is a thorn in the side of the municipality: "The beaver is on the move in several bodies of water in the municipal area. Public infrastructure is at risk there, and only recently 1.7 million euros were invested in the lido," explains Stefan Petrasko, head of the authority, who is a hunter himself and is already in contact with the state of Carinthia. "We want to find a solution, the beaver is causing a lot of damage. We have applied for a shooting permit," explains Mayor Wolfgang Grilz

Shooting legally possible
Animal lovers are worried that "Benni" could be shot. Since 2021, this has been legally possible in Carinthia with a permit, provided that an attempt has first been made to deter the animal and there is no other satisfactory solution. Local residents have already desperately contacted ARGE Naturschutz.