Beavers or the small northern monsters

 

The destructive effect of Beavers in Patagonia.


These Northern Hemisphere animals (Castor canadiensis) were introduced to Tierra del Fuego Island by the Argentine navy, to kick-start the local fur industry. It was a failure so some tender hearted navy man, instead of killing off the twenty five pairs of beavers, set them loose in the wilderness.

They expanded quickly and adapted marvelously to the new environment. Nowadays they number between 35 and 50 thousand, [1] and their territory occupies a large portion of Tierra del Fuego Island and several smaller ones in both Chile and Argentina.

To make matters worse, beavers have left Tierra del Fuego and colonized the southern tip of the continent at Brunswick Peninsula. The Chilean government is working hard to errdicate this foothold and to create a buffer zone on the Island.
If beavers manage to gain a firm hold on the mainland, the whole ecosystem of the Andean Forests will be at risk.[2]

The local forests made up mostly of Nothofagus (Southern Beech) have not co-evolved with beavers like the Northern Hemisphere's forests. They grow slowly and just can't keep up with the logging habits of beavers.

Furthermore, the guanaco feeds on the new saplings and the combination of flooded forests (beaver dams block the flow of rivers and flood the woods), tree foraging and slow growth / sapling destruction is taking its toll on the Fuegian forests.

American Beaver at Tierra del Fuego. Copyright © 1992- 2009 by Alec Earnshaw. From [3]

Beavers, they can explain the monster at Lake Fagnano

Since beavers have spread along Lake Fagnano into Chile and it occupies the central part of their Fuegian habitat, they may help explain Fañanito, the lake creature that is said to live in it, and which has been described as follows:

[the] large head appeared suddenly and looked at him, and then submerged without leaving any trace. The man screamed, startling the people; the boat turned around but they did not see it again

For someone on a tourist excursion along the lake, a beaver head appearing on the surface would be a frightening experience. One that could easily be attributed to a lake cryptid.

Bibliography.

[1] Lizarralde, M., Escobar, J. and Deferrari, G.Invader Species in Argentina: A review about the beaver (Castor canadiensis) Population Situation on Tierra del Fuego ecosystem.Interciencia Jul 2004. Vol. 29 pp. 356
[2] Parkes, J.; Paulson, J, Donlan, J.; Campbell, K. (2008). Control of North American beavers in Tierra del Fuego: feasibility of eradication and alternative management options. Landcare Research Contract Report LC0708/
[3] Photograph is copyright © by Alec Earnshaw, Fauna of Argentina, it has some beautiful photographs of the Fuegian Fauna.

---

Patagonian Monsters - Cryptozoology, Myths & legends in Patagonia

2010 International Year of Biodiversity
 
Copyright 2009-2010 by Austin Whittall ©
 

Southern Tierra del Fuego Map

 

Map of Southern Tierra del Fuego. Beagle Channel. See Footnote [*]

Map showing Beagle Channel and Lake Fagnano area of Tierra del Fuego Island.

I include it because in a previous post I mentioned Hoste and Gable islands (the first is at the bottom left side of the map, the second is in Beagle Channel right beside Harberton -the home of the Bridges family, the first settlers in Tierra del Fuego).

In future posts we will mention Yosi, a horrid Fuegian dwarf, who lived by Lake Fagnano, which is also home to Fañanito.

[*] Footnote.
Map adapted from: Nuevo Atlas de la Argentina © Cases i Associats S.A. 1995. Published by Clarin. Edición especial para la Secretaría de Turismo de la Nación 1996. ISBN 987 9153 00 6.



Copyright 2009 by Austin Whittall ©

Patagonian Monsters

"Fañanito" - The monster at Lake Fagnano

 

Lake Fagnano Creature

Online there is a fantastic tale of fresh plesiosaur remains that were discovered by this Fuegian Lake in 1927.[1] The story is absolutely false.

Lake Fagnano (54°34’ S, 68°00’ W), in Tierra del Fuego Island, is not only the home of the last Yosi dwarves [we will write about them in another post] it is also the abode of a lake monster, “Fañanito”.

The lake is an elongated and narrow body of water is 645 km² [249 sq. mi.] over 100 km [62 mi.] hence its name “Kami” (long) in Selk’nam language; with very cold water, averaging only 4°C (39°F).

I have posted a map here showing southern Tierra del Fuego where you can see the lake (upper - central part of the map).

Many neighbors and old settlers at the lakeside village of Tolhuin have “heard about the monster but not seen it”,[2] it goes by the name “Fañanito”. A neighbor of Tolhuin reported that while sailing the lake in a boat, he was trailing his hand in the water when a “large head appeared suddenly and looked at him, and then submerged without leaving any trace. The man screamed, startling the people; the boat turned around but they did not see it again”.[2]

Beavers (Castor canadensis) were introduced into Tierra del Fuego in 1946 by the Argentine Navy to establish a fur industry in the region. The venture failed and the animals were set free in Lake Fagnano. Lack of predators and a favorable habitat favored their proliferation. They have caused considerable damage to the island’s forests and expanded their range to neighboring islands. It is therefore quite probable to sight a large head bobbing on the lake’s surface.
Monsters indeed –of Canadian origin- but not monsters of the "creepy" or "mysterious" kind!

Bibliography.

[1] Jarré, S., (2004). Guarida de Monstruos. Los 32 rumbos de la Rosa de los Vientos. Año 1. N° 3. IV: 42 – 47.
[2] Kaikén, J., (2006). Tolhuin Historias del Pueblo. Fañanito. Historias de Tolhuin. 23.10.2006. (Spanish language blog).


Copyright 2009 by Austin Whittall ©

Patagonian Monsters