Finland's attempt to restore a beaver population in the 1930s led to the accidental introduction of a different species after officials brought North American beavers into the country. The Eurasian beaver had been hunted to extinction in Finland by the late 19th century, with the last recorded animal killed in 1868. Reintroduction efforts began in 1935, initially using beavers from Norway.
When additional Norwegian beavers could not be supplied, Finland turned to North America. Seven North American beavers ( Castor canadensis ) were brought from New York and released at several locations in 1937. At the time, Eurasian and North American beavers were generally regarded as belonging to the same species.
