Beavers return to Italian Ticino, could spread into Switzerland

The European beaver has returned to several stretches of the Ticino River in Italy, raising the possibility that the species could soon reach Switzerland’s canton of Ticino, SRF reported. New signs confirm its presence after an initial sighting in December 2024 near Castelletto in northern Italy.

“This is extraordinary news for us,” Monica Di Francesco, head of the wildlife department at Lombardy’s Ticino Park, told RSI, the Italian-language service of Swiss public broadcaster SRG SSR. She cautioned that several individuals have been identified, but not yet a population. The animals are in an initial phase of settlement.

Protected areas along the Ticino, Lake Maggiore, Campo dei Fiori and Val Grande have launched joint monitoring to track the beavers’ development. Researcher Andrea Mosini is coordinating the work. Reports from fishermen, canoeists and local residents will also help document the animals’ movements and can be sent directly to Ticino Park.

Possible route into Switzerland

There have been no confirmed records of beavers in the canton of Ticino so far. Their spread northwards appears plausible, however. Animals established between the Toce, Lake Maggiore and the Ticino below the lake could follow riverbanks, wetlands and tributaries.

A rapid arrival is not guaranteed. Dams, reinforced riverbanks, roads, built-up areas and stretches with little vegetation could hinder the animals’ movement. Lake Maggiore, by contrast, could serve as an ecological corridor.

From extinction to recovery

The European beaver was absent from Italy for about 500 years. It reappeared in the Tarvis area in 2018, probably coming from Austria. It was later recorded between the Toce and Lake Maggiore along an expansion route from Switzerland.

The beaver is Eurasia’s largest native rodent. It is mainly nocturnal, lives partly in water and has webbed hind feet, a broad, flattened tail and prominent orange incisors. By felling trees and building dams, it slows currents, retains water and sediment, and creates ponds, wetlands and clearings that benefit amphibians, birds and many invertebrates.

Its structures can locally reduce flooding and help ecosystems withstand drought by contributing to groundwater replenishment. This is why the beaver is known as an “engineer of nature”. In landscapes heavily shaped by people, however, it can also damage crops, dams and canals, requiring monitoring and preventive measures.

The species’ return has not followed the same pattern everywhere in Italy. In Tuscany and Umbria, at least 55 activity areas, 40 animals and 16 reproduction events were documented between 2021 and early 2023. Because these areas are far from other European populations, unauthorised releases are considered likely. Individual animals have also been reported in Abruzzo and other parts of central and southern Italy, although there is no confirmed evidence of reproduction there.

In Switzerland, reintroduction began in 1956. A total of 141 animals were released between 1956 and 1978. While about 165 beavers were counted in 1977, the Swiss population is now estimated at around 5,000.