Despite their relatively low profile, the history of the beaver is a very important one. Beavers were widely hunted for their skin, and were largely the reason for the early colonization of North America, as well as explorers westward expansion toward the Pacific coast. While the bison is the first animal that comes to mind when thinking of large groups of animals who were nearly hunted to extinction, the beaver was even more widely pursued, first being hunted in Eurasia and then later in North America. Early North American cultures passed down mythological tales involving beavers, and the beaver is one of the national symbols of Canada. The history of the continent and the beaver are very much intertwined, as it seems that one does not exist without the other.