Rambling

Beavers used to be common in the UK, but they were hunted to extinction around 400 years ago. Now they may be reintroduced back into the UK next year.

Around 15 to 20 beaver, from 4 families will be brought from Norway this autumn. Next spring, after they have been quarantined and acclimatised, they will be released into the wild by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. The beavers will be released at Knapdale, south of the Crinan canal near Lochgilphead in Argyll. An attempt to release beaver in Knapdale in 2005 failed because of objections by local land owners.

The beavers will be radio-tagged and micro-chipped so their movements can be tracked. If the project is successful more beaver may be released in other parts of Scotland in 2010.

Natural England, the government conservation agency, is soon to release details of it’s feasibility study into releasing beaver into the English countryside. Areas included in the study are Devon, Dorset, the Thames Valley, East Anglia and the Lake District.

Although I‘m sure the beavers will be a welcome sight for most people, even boosting tourism, I’m also sure other people will not welcome them.
Beaver are rodents, Europe’s biggest in fact, and as such breed like rodents. If not kept in check they could well spread and become a problem. Their activities can cause flooding on farmland, roads etc. and they can undermine river and canal banks.

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