Beaver reintroduction projects are occurring all over the UK. Given that back in October 2022 the beaver was recognized as a native species once again in England, it becomes far easier to reintroduce them into places that would benefit from their presence.
You might ask why a country would declare an animal non-native after it being pushed to extinction by humans? I share this bafflement. In the UK (as with many countries across the globe) once the species has officially been declared locally extinct it ceases to be a native mammal. This should change – it is absurd that in a country where a native species is driven to extinction, there needs to be any discussion about whether it is native – indeed I would argue that this is simply done to make it politically easier to argue against reintroduction.
Anyway, the return of beavers to London will occur in Ealing’s Paradise Fields, an eight-hectare site of woodland and wetlands minutes from Greenford Tube station. While the whole site will be closed while the beavers settle in, it will then continue to be a green space for locals to enjoy.
The beavers behaviour is expected to manage water more effectively, and thereby greatly reduce or indeed eliminate the risk of flooding in the local area.