A beaver’s tail slapping the water was a common sound when European settlers arrived on this continent – North America was up to its ears with this mammal.
From 1550 to 1850, Europeans had a love affair with felt hats crafted from the underfur of beavers. As trappers moved west in search of more beavers to supply the demand, traders, shopkeepers and settlers followed.
Despite changing fashions and their legendary abundance, beaver populations were decimated. By 1900, beavers were largely gone from Arkansas and the rest of the Eastern United States.
Although beavers cut trees and build dams that can flood property, the habitat they create is crucial to the survival of many other species of wildlife. Humans enjoy their wetlands too – from hunting and fishing to wildlife viewing, paddling and photography.
