It's not the moose or the polar bear that is Canada's national animal – it's the humble beaver, which was officially designated in 1975. Canada's history is surprisingly beaver-heavy, and clashes over control of the lucrative beaver fur trade spawned the 17th-century Beaver Wars, fought between Native American tribes and their European allies in the Great Lakes region.

Though they might sound amusing to modern ears, the Beaver Wars lasted for 70-odd years and claimed thousands of lives.

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