In the 1930s, Finland was trying to bring back a beaver that had disappeared from the country. The Eurasian beaver ( Castor fibre) 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, when beavers from Norway were brought in. But when more Norwegian animals could not be supplied, Finland turned to North America. In 1937, seven North American beavers ( Castor canadensis ) arrived from New York, and officials released them at several sites. At the time, the two animals were generally considered members of the same species. It would take another 36 years for scientists to establish that they were not. A University of Helsinki review of the introduction records that seven North American beavers were released in Finland in 1937 as part of an effort to restore beavers after the native Eurasian species had disappeared from the country.
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