Beaver dam 'visible from space'

5 May 2010, 9:46

Beavers in Canada have built the world's longest dam which can reportedly be seen from space.

The incredible construction is a staggering 2,790ft in length, more than half a mile long, according to The Sun.

It is twice the size of what was the world's largest man-made dam - the Hoover dam in the US, which spans 1,244ft.

Located on the southern edge of Wood Buffalo National Park in Northern Alberta, it was spotted by experts monitoring the size and spread of beaver dams in north America.

Sharon Brown, a biologist from Beavers: Wetland and Wildlife, an educational organisation in north America, said: "Beavers build dams to create a good habitat.

"They create a habitat with lots of water like a moat around their lodges so they can swim and dive and keep one step ahead of predators such as coyotes and bears. This dam is particularly big."

While beaver dams are often found to be around 1,500ft long, this one has surprised biologists because of its length.

It is thought that several beaver families joined forces to create the massive dam that contains thousands of trees and would have taken many months to complete.

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Beaver_dam_visible_from_space

See also: http://news.discovery.com/animals/beaver-dam-canada-space.html