Having been released near Petersfield in the South of England, they will be tracked by a team of academics, to make sure that they survive and thrive.
These beavers will...
Beaver (European & American beaver)
Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents of the Northern Hemisphere.Â
There are two existing species:Â
- North American beaver
- Eurasian beaver
Beavers are the second-largest living rodents, after capybaras, weighing up to 50 kg. They have stout bodies with large heads, long chisel-like incisors, brown or gray fur, hand-like front feet, webbed back feet, and tails that are flat and scaly. The two species differ in skull and tail shape and fur colour. Beavers can be found in a number of freshwater habitats, such as rivers, streams, lakes and ponds. They are herbivorous, consuming tree bark, aquatic plants, grasses and sedges.
Beavers build dams and lodges using tree branches, vegetation, rocks and mud; they chew down trees for building material. Dams restrict water flow, and lodges serve as shelters. Their infrastructure creates wetlands used by many other species, and because of their effect on other organisms in the ecosystem, beavers are considered a keystone species. Adult males and females live in monogamous pairs with their offspring. After their first year, the young help their parents repair dams and lodges; older siblings may also help raise newly-born offspring. Beavers hold territories and mark them using scent mounds made of mud, debris, and castoreum—a liquid substance excreted through the beaver’s urethra-based castor sacs. Beavers can also recognize their kin by their anal gland secretions and are more likely to tolerate them as neighbors.
Historically, beavers have been hunted for their fur, meat, and castoreum. Castoreum has been used in medicine, perfume, and food flavoring; beaver pelts have been a major driver of the fur trade. Before protections began in the 19th and early 20th centuries, overhunting had nearly exterminated both species. Their populations have since rebounded, and they are listed as species of least concern by the IUCN Red List of mammals. In human culture, the beaver symbolizes industriousness, especially in connection with construction; it is the national animal of Canada.
There are a variety of places to see these animals in the wild (there are even places in the UK to see them)
How do animals like beavers and otters stay clean underwater (and benefit their environment at the same time)
Anyone who has removed a branch or similar from a pond, will remember the incredible quantity...
Plans are afoot to reintroduce beavers into London
Having only green-lit beaver reintroduction in the UK in the last decade, there are large numbers of places that they will return to over the next few years.
Even more beavers to be released across Europe
The recovery of the European beaver seems to be accelerating, with many planned reintroductions across many counties within the UK.
Dorset, Derbyshire, Hampshire and the Isle...
Long weekend away – boar in the forest
One of the wildest places in the UK is the forest of dean. This is not particularly wild, but work...
