Eurasian beavers were once common in our countryside. The water-loving mammals, famed for building dams, shaped our waterways and created natural habitats for other species.
Four hundred years ago, they were hunted to extinction in this country.
Now, after three successful trial releases, beavers will be reintroduced into the wild. Conservationists say the mammals will help reduce flood risks, create new wetlands and boost biodiversity.
“Beavers are environmental engineers”, according to Tony Juniper, the chair of Natural England.
“The dams, ponds and canals they build not only create amazingly rich habitats for many other species, but can also help reduce flood risk, purify water and catch carbon.”
Some farmers have expressed concern that, left unchecked, beavers could interfere with their land.
In response, the government says the reintroduction will be carefully managed to avoid impacts on farming, food production and infrastructure.
New wild release projects will need to have a project plan in place covering a 10-year period to support the introduction of beavers into a landscape before Natural England would consider granting a licence.
Mary Creagh, nature minister, said: “Beavers are cherished creatures who bring so many benefits for people and our precious natural environment.
“They create wetlands which are havens for wildlife, reduce flood risk and improve the water quality of our rivers.
“Reintroducing beavers to the wild is a critical milestone for this government’s plan to protect and restore our natural world.”
The first release of wild beavers will happen at Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve in Dorset in the near future.
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