Beaver comeback continues with more reintroductions in 2021

A record number of beavers will be released into sites in England and Wales by wildlife trusts this year - 20 years after the semi-aquatic mammal first made a comeback.

Around 20 beavers will be reintroduced to five more counties in 2021, with the first of the releases taking place this week in Dorset when a male and female were let into an enclosed wetland, the Wildlife Trusts coalition of groups said.

Beavers were once native to Britain but were hunted to extinction in the 16th century for their fur, meat and scent glands, leading to the loss of the wetland habitat of lakes, mires and boggy places they were key to creating.

Wildlife experts are keen to return them to the landscape to help restore wetland habitats and boost other species, manage water and curb flooding, and create eco-tourism opportunities.

Following Dorset Wildlife Trust's release of its pair of beavers, which will be monitored for their impact on the landscape, a scheme is set to go ahead on the Isle of Wight.

Subject to a successful licence application, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust plans to release beavers into the reserve in the Eastern Yar on the island, in the hope the animals can be officially released into an open area rather than an enclosure.

Beavers which have escaped or been illegally released also now live wild on a number of rivers in England and Scotland, where some cause problems for landowners.

But a five-year project by Devon Wildlife Trust to monitor the beavers living wild on the River Otter found that the animals created a range of wetland habitats and built dams which reduced flood risk and prevented soil run-off and pollution.

"Beavers are a fantastic keystone species"

Craig Bennett, chief executive of the Wildlife Trusts, said: "Beavers are a fantastic keystone species that have a hugely important role to play in restoring nature to Britain.

"It's brilliant to see Wildlife Trusts across the UK ensuring a better future for wetlands and for a wealth of other wildlife by bringing back beavers whose engineering capabilities inject new life into wild places.

"The benefits for people are clear - beavers help stop flooding downstream, filter out impurities and they create new homes for otters, water voles and kingfishers.

"What's more, people love seeing them and their presence boosts tourism in the countryside.''

The Wildlife Trusts want the Government to follow Scotland's lead and make beavers a legally protected species in England, and make funding available for landowners and local management groups to reintegrate the species into the landscape.