How beavers saved 1 million Euros

Humans have a complicated relationship with the animal world. We adore some creatures while having deep fears of others. In this Learning Nugget, we take a look at two unusual stories that focus on the good and bad sides of the animal kingdom’s effects on humans.

Busy as a beaver

Turning the wheels of government bureaucracy can take a very long time. It’s no different in Czechia where a plan was created in 2018 to build a dam south of Prague that would have cost around €1 million.

Two acidic ponds were spilling water and sediment into a river, endangering a threatened species of crayfish. The dam was meant to stop the spillage and create a new, large area of wetland habitat in an environmental protection area.

As of early 2025, no part of the dam had been built due to arguments about property rights. But then, without any administrative approval, a local committee of beavers moved forward with their own construction project.

The rodents built a dam almost exactly where the Czech government wanted one. Additionally, they created canals, pools, and other dams in areas where the government was considering making them but had been worried that land negotiations would get too complicated.

Because the beavers did this in a protected area where no homes or farms were endangered, the Czech government and taxpayers can now fully enjoy a free dam system that was bigger and better than planned.

The man who’s immune to cobras

In 2021, Time Friede, an American snake owner and enthusiast, was bitten by two different species of cobra within one hour. He was taken to the hospital where he laid in a coma for days. When he finally awoke, he figured he had two choices: Either 1) stop keeping venomous snakes or 2) figure out a way to be safe from them.
 
He chose option two and planned to make himself immune to snake venom. He did this, at first, by milking his snakes‘ venom, diluting it, and injecting himself with it in small doses. When he did this, his body created antibodies to fight the venom. Eventually, his body could neutralize various venoms‘ effects.

This is similar to how antivenoms are made today, except it’s not humans but horses and sheep who get injected and make antibodies that we extract.
 
As his immunities became stronger, Friede skipped the needles and allowed his snakes to bite him. Friede’s experiments and daring have made his biology unique. 
 
He’s now part of a company that is experimenting with his blood and its special antibodies in hopes of creating a universal antivenom that could be used across the world to save people from the effects of any venomous snake bite. Tests have shown Friede’s antibodies can help protect mice from 19 deadly snake venoms.

Currently, antivenoms only exist for single types of snake or venom and are expensive and difficult to store. Of the tens of thousands of people who die from venomous snake bites each year, many of them are in poor, agricultural areas. Their risk is high because they walk barefoot and bare-legged through fields that provide perfect habitats for dangerous snakes. Friede hopes his self-experiments will produce a product that makes it cheaper and easier to protect the people in these communities.