In 1948, Idaho officials used World War II parachutes to drop 76 beavers into the wilderness in one of America’s strangest conservation experiments

Idaho officials used World War II parachutes to move beavers. Special crates were designed for aerial drops into remote wilderness areas. This method proved much faster and safer than traditional transportation. Most of the relocated beavers successfully established new colonies in the basin. The project demonstrated a practical solution for wildlife conservation challenges.