{"id":1801,"date":"2026-09-27T10:51:20","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T10:51:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bbc-wildlife\/?p=1801"},"modified":"2026-09-27T10:51:57","modified_gmt":"2026-09-27T10:51:57","slug":"usa-officials-parachuted-76-beavers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bbc-wildlife\/2026\/09\/27\/usa-officials-parachuted-76-beavers\/","title":{"rendered":"USA officials parachuted 76 beavers into the Idaho wilderness \u2013 then something astounding happened"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Wildlife<\/p>\n\n\n\n

USA officials parachuted 76 beavers into the Idaho wilderness \u2013 then something astounding happened<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

In post-World War II North America, beavers were wreaking havoc in rural communities. So the state department came up with an ingenious solution involving parachutes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Words by<\/em> Sophie Ellis<\/p>\n\n\n\n

August 21st, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Shanon Fischer\/ Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the best way to relocate a horde of beavers? That\u2019s a puzzle the Idaho Fish and Game Department had to solve in 1948, after it kept receiving complaints about the furry rodents.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After World War II, many people moved further away from Idaho\u2019s capital, Boise, to more rural areas such as Payette Lake and McCall. However, a beaver<\/a> population was already established in these regions and people weren\u2019t happy with them chomping down trees and building dams as it affected their properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the Department recognised the significant role that beavers play as ecosystem engineers<\/a> (and realised the money they could save by moving the beavers elsewhere instead of building dams to stabilise water supplies), they chose to relocate the animals instead of exterminating them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n