Could this endearing mammal be the reason Canada exists?

Canada may not have existed as we know it today if it wasn’t for the beaver, and certainly wouldn’t have been explored by Europeans as quickly, says Christian Dunn.

From the mid-16th century, beaver pelts were brought from North America to Europe primarily for making hats, and this continued – to varying degrees – into the Victorian era, when silk became the preferred material.

Demand for beaver fur was so high that European trappers had to enlist the help of indigenous people to seek out new hunting grounds.

This inevitably meant going west into the very heart of North America, away from the trading ports and settlements of the east coast, and opening up completely uncharted territory.

Such was the value of the beaver-pelt industry that it affected trading and political alliances across North America and Europe, helping to shape the country that was to become Canada.

The importance of the beaver to this nation is difficult to overstate – little wonder that it has become Canada’s national animal.

This article by Dr Christian Dunn was first published by Discover Wildlife on 2 September 2026.

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