natural reserve - Austria / II. Republic of Austria 1982 - 4 Shilling

By the year 2000, it is expected that at least 40% of all animal species will become extinct, unless fundamental changes in the lifestyle of our society occur. The special stamp series "Protect endangered animals" was supposed to support this change of consciousness as early as 1982. The beaver, which shows the brand image, was already eradicated in our homeland in 1863. At that time the last beaver was killed at Fischamend. On the Danube below Vienna, more than 100 years after the eradication, the first beaver colony was founded by the Wilhelminenberg Institute. The beaver counts to the order of the rodents, and is a pure herbivore. With its extremely strong teeth, it can cut trees up to 30 cm in diameter. Only the bark of the trees is eaten, softwoods such as willows and poplars are preferred. During the spring and summer, however, the beaver feed almost exclusively on fresh plants of the water and riparian zones. The characteristic buildings of the beavers are built in the area of ​​shallow banks of branch pieces and smeared with mud. Often meter-high, broad hills, in which one or more residential kettles are.