A colony of beavers has saved the Czech government almost £1 million after completing a stalled dam project themselves.

Despite a seven-year planning process and successfully securing the funding, the Czech Republic’s plans to build a new dam in the Brdy region came to a standstill as authorities struggled to acquire building permits.

However, it was the arrival of eight hard-working beavers that finally got the job done.

Speaking to Radio Prague, Jaroslav Obermajer, head of the Central Bohemian office of the Czech Nature and Landscape Protection Agency, said: “Beavers always know best.”

Using their powerful incisors, the semi-aquatic rodents fell trees to create wetland areas – known as ‘beaver ponds’ – which they then use as sources of food and protection from predators.