Swiss authorities protect UNESCO pile dwellings from beavers

Swiss authorities have completed special measures to protect UNESCO-heritage pile dwelling settlements on Lake Inkwil, between cantons Bern and Solothurn, from beaver damage. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The project to protect the ancient stilt villages against damage from beavers, which costs CHF800,000, has been completed, the cantons said on Monday in a joint statement. Construction work in Lake Inkwil was completed on schedule at the beginning of December. The large island and the nearby lake bed were covered with rodent grids, gravel and special earth mixture. The UNESCO World Heritage site will thus be preserved in good conditions for future generations and protected from beavers, the statement said. The costs of these protective measures were shared between the two cantons - CHF300,000 each - and CHF200,000 for the federal government. Deadwood stock restored Nature conservation also played a role in the protective measures. According to the ...