Introduction of Beavers in Tierra del Fuego Proves Unsuccessful

In the southernmost tip of South America, Argentina and Chile are facing a destructive invader - the beaver. These rodents, native to North America, were introduced to Patagonia in 1946 by Argentina's military, who flew 10 pairs of Canadian beavers to Tierra Del Fuego.

Since then, the beavers have rapidly dispersed and multiplied, causing significant damage to infrastructure, including highways, culverts, farmland, and fiberoptic cables. The beaver population in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego is estimated to be between 70,000 and 110,000.

The beavers' destructive impact has been felt deeply. In Argentina alone, the damage costs around $66 million each year. This has led to eradication efforts being pursued by both countries. Miguel Gallardo, a former forest service official, began shooting beavers with a .22 caliber rifle nine years ago.

Gallardo was dispatched to Puerto Williams, a small town on Navarino Island, near Chile's southernmost tip. In 2015, he quit his job with the forest service and launched Navarino Beaver, a tourism company that allows visitors to trek through the phantom forests, hunt beavers, and taste their lean meat.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) initiated a series of pilot projects in 2016 to eradicate beavers in Argentina and Chile. The preliminary results from these projects suggest that eradication is technically possible, but it will not be easy. Controlling the beaver population is not considered enough; total eradication is the goal.

Beavers have decimated nearly 120 square miles (31,000 hectares) of peat bogs, forests, and grasslands. They have also caused massive flooding by constructing dams and rerouting rivers. This is particularly problematic as South American trees have not developed the same defenses as their North American counterparts to withstand the beavers' chewing and flooding.

By the early 1990s, beavers had braved the unpredictable currents of the Strait of Magellan and reached the Chilean mainland. They have since caused similar destruction in both countries. Achieving eradication will depend on sustained political will, but efforts are underway to protect the region from this unwelcome guest.