Salzburg shields pollarded willows from beavers

Salzburg’s municipal gardens department is putting barriers around trees along the Almkanal to protect strictly protected pollarded willows from active beavers, ORF reported.

As vegetation dies back with the season, beavers rely more on bark for food. Gundi Habenicht, the state’s beaver officer, said they eat daily and will take trees along the banks regardless of their species or age.

The department, led by Christian Stadler, is protecting all trees along the canal. Wire mesh that beavers cannot chew through is the most effective method, Stadler said. Repellent coatings are another option, but their effectiveness varies.

The damage is being caused by a beaver family living at Leopoldskroner Weiher, a pond, and roaming in search of food. Habenicht said families’ need for space is often underestimated: they move their feeding activity to new locations, making them difficult to monitor. Their tracks show only where they have most recently been active.