The beaver has made an amazing comeback in the Netherlands. Extinct in the early 19th century, it was reintroduced in 1988, and now there are an estimated 7,000 beavers roaming around. Compared with England, where the beaver population is estimated at 500, that’s quite a feat. But there’s a significant downside to the booming Dutch […]
Tag: Beavers
Specieswatch: push to reintroduce lynx into UK gathers momentum
The UK and Ireland are among the few countries in northern Europe without the apex predator the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx). Like most of Britain’s larger native animals, wolves and beavers, it was hunted to extinction, in this case about 1,300 years ago, helping to push the UK towards the distinction of being the most […]
Scheme to release beavers into wild in England has stalled, say nature experts
When the first pair of beavers to be legally released in England crawled sleepily from their crates into the ponds of Purbeck Heath in Dorset, it seemed like a watershed moment for wildlife in the UK. Wildlife charities rejoiced as ministers finally agreed for the nature-boosting rodents to be released, subject to licence, into the […]
New Project Will Reintroduce Elk to UK for the First Time in 3,000 Years
After successfully reintroducing beavers back into the wild in England, a new project is looking to bring European elk back to the UK. The elk previously went extinct in the UK 3,000 years ago. Rewilding Britain is awarding grants through its Rewilding Innovation Fund for a joint project by the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trusts […]
Wild swimmers are safer in lakes and rivers where beavers live, thanks to their pollution blocking dams, study finds
Wild swimmers are safer in lakes, rivers, and ponds inhabited by beavers, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Stirling in Scotland have uncovered that beaver dams drastically improve the water quality of British eco-systems. Their work, detailed in the Science of the Total Environment journal, monitored how rodent populations affect pollution […]
Beaver releases into wild to be allowed in England for first time in centuries
The release of beavers into English waterways is to be allowed for the first time in centuries, the Guardian can reveal. The environment secretary, Steve Reed, is to announce that nature groups will be able to get a licence for the release. The first releases could happen this autumn. Until about 20 years ago, the […]
Water voles bounce back in key areas but distribution across UK declines
Water voles continue to decline in their distribution across Britain but there are signs of recovery in some regions, with populations bouncing back in 11 key areas, according to a report. The river-residing mammal, which inspired Ratty in the Wind in the Willows, has revived in number in parts of Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and East […]
Rescue Beaver May Stay with Her Caretakers After Legal Victory
Nibi, a rescue beaver, may get to stay with the people who have cared for her after a Massachusetts judge granted an emergency injunction on Tuesday, temporarily preventing her removal from Newhouse Wildlife Rescue. MassWildlife officials had planned to take Nibi from the Chelmsford-based rescue at 9:30 AM, but a restraining order issued by Associate […]