Thursday, June 16, 2011

EnviroFunFact

The dam is located on the southern edge of Wood Buffalo National Park in Northern Alberta, Canada. Photo courtesy: BNPS via telegraph.co.uk

Busy as a beaver is more than just an expression. Busy beavers on the southern edge of Wood Buffalo National Park in northern Alberta in Canada have built a 2,790 foot-long dam that is so large it can be seen from space. It's twice the size of the Hoover Dam in the United States. Scientists monitoring the size and locations of beaver dams in North America discovered the dam. Biologist Sharon Brown says it's not uncommon to see a dam that is 1,500 feet long; but, this one was a surprise. She says it's possible several beaver families worked together to create such as massive dam. The dam creates a deep pool around the beavers' lodge so they can swim, dive and avoid predators.

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