Beaver safari in Stockholm - on your own beaver tracking tour

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This weekend we went on a beaver safari in Stockholm, with our friends as guides. What an exciting and fun weekend! Did we get to see any beavers? Read on to find out! Exciting facts about beavers are also promised.

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The dream of seeing beavers

Ever since we were on Beaver safari in Lake Grövelsjön In the summer of 2010 (without seeing a beaver) I (Helena) have been nagging to see a beaver. We got a nice canoe trip that time and a lot of interesting beaver facts, but as I said, no beaver. But shame on the one who gives up!

Sunday adventure: Beaver safari in Stockholm

Our friends Lennart and Beata, who we travelled with in Poland and Sri Lanka, among other places, live next to a river in Stockholm where they occasionally see beavers. They have followed the beaver's paths on several walks, and were now able to offer us a private "beaver safari in Stockholm". On Sunday we took the electric bikes and rolled away.

The walk started at Bällstaån in Bromma, and we walked away from the city, towards Solvalla. However, this is not the only place where you can do your own beaver safari in Stockholm - there are beavers all around in many different waterways.

Our excellent beaver safari guides quickly pointed out all the trees that the beaver (or beavers?) cut down for their dams. The tracks started immediately, right in the centre of the settlement, and then became denser the further out of town we got.

Beaver safari in Stockholm - with beaver tracks

We quickly realised that there is a busy beaver or beaver family living in the river. The bitten off trees were everywhere. The beaver gnaws down the trunk so that it almost and then let the next storm finish the job. Why put in more work than necessary? Once the tree is down, he gets access to all the smaller branches at the top, which are great for building dams.

The beaver's nest

Finally, during our beaver safari in Stockholm, we arrived at the place that Lennart and Beata believe is the beaver's home. We won't tell you exactly where this is, as we think the beaver may want some peace and quiet at its home. But feel free to go out and check the waterways where you live for beaver tracks - there are around 100,000 beavers in Sweden!

So why do we think the beaver lives here? Well, there is a clear walkway up from the water and then a well-used passage into the bushes. Around it are several felled trees, which are so fresh that they are still fragrant.

Signs of spring

Although we manure looking for beavers, we of course also enjoyed the walk in nature. We saw lots of ducks and also small birds such as goldfinches. And we saw small buds that were about to open.

Did we see any beavers during our beaver safari in Stockholm?

We didn't see any beaver this time either, but we were still happy with our little excursion. We saw lots of beaver tracks and learnt a lot about beavers as we, of course, started googling. For a better chance of seeing beavers, you should probably go out early in the morning or late in the evening, as beavers are nocturnal.

24 Things you (maybe) didn't know about the Beaver

After our beaver safari in Stockholm, we have of course read up on the beaver and found a lot of exciting and interesting facts. We found this information on Wikipedia, National Museum of Natural History and National Geographic. Here are 24 things you might not know:

1. The beaver became extinct in Sweden in 1871. In 1922, two Norwegian animals were planted in Jämtland and started breeding.
2. There are currently around 100,000 beavers in Sweden. In some places it is protected and in others it can be hunted.
3. The beaver is Sweden's largest rodent. It can weigh 18-22 kg and reach 70-100 cm in length, plus its tail of 30-40 cm.
4. There are two species of beaver - European and American. American beavers are bigger than ours.
5. 10,000 years ago there were 'giant beavers'. The giant beaver lived in North America and could reach 2.5 metres in length.
6. The felling of trees brings new life. Ticks grow on the stumps and trunks and the area becomes rich in insects and birds.
7. Beavers can cause trouble. The presence of beavers can sometimes lead to flooding and the felling of valuable trees.
8. Beavers can speak out. There have been cases of beaver bites, including when someone wanted to take a photo with their mobile phone.
9. The beaver does not thrive in salt water. Beavers can sometimes be seen in salt water, but need fresh water for drinking and washing.
10. Beavers live in pairs. The same couple stays together all their lives, until death separates them.
11. The beavers have 1-4 cubs. They mate in February and the young are born in June. They leave home when they are 2 years old.
12. Beavers live to be 20-30 years old. In captivity, they have been known to live for 35-50 years.
13. Beavers eat shoots, herbs, bark and leaves. For the winter, it stores portions of bark in underwater stores.
14. The beaver has poor eyesight. It looks best at night.
15. The beaver hears well. Animals communicate with each other using sound.
16. The beaver has a good sense of smell. It also has a sensory organ that allows it to smell underwater.
17. The beaver has extremely dense fur. Each square centimetre of skin contains around 23 000 hairs.
18. The beaver can dive for a long time. The beaver often dives for 4-5 minutes, but can go without breathing for up to 15 minutes.
19. Beaver gall is a secretion found in the abdomen. The beaver uses the secretion for territory marking.
20. Beaver bark was once used as a medicine. The secretion, which includes salicylic acid, was used for all sorts of ailments.
21. The hunt for beaver gills led to extinction. Beaver gill was extremely expensive, leading to hunting and extinction.
22. Beaver gill is used as a spice in spirits. The substance is considered an exclusive flavouring.
23. The word beaver means 'brown'. An older name is "bjur" as in Bjurfors, and in Latin the animal is called Castor.
24. You can eat beaver. In the past, beaver was 'poor man's food'. Today, beavers are sometimes served in restaurants.

Have you been on a beaver safari in Stockholm or elsewhere?

Have you been on a beaver safari in Stockholm or elsewhere? Have you ever seen beavers? Please tell us!

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