Trial release of Beavers approved in Devon

Yesterday [28 January] the Government announced that England's first 'wild' colony of breeding Eurasian Beavers will be allowed to remain on the River Otter in Devon.

Natural England's board will issue a license to Devon Wildlife Trust, permitting the managed release of beavers in to the wild on a five-year trial basis. The licence is subject to a range of conditions, including confirmation that the beavers are of Eurasian origin and are free of the Echinococcus multilocularis parasite, which can affect humans among other mammals.

Under the terms of the licence Devon Wildlife Trust must develop, by September at the latest, a management strategy to deal quickly with any undesirable impacts which the beavers may have on the River Otter during the trial period, as well as a monitoring programme to study their impacts.

Future decisions by Natural England on the release of beavers will in large part be informed by the results of this initial trial. The unauthorised release of beavers remains illegal and Natural England does not expect to grant any other licences for beaver release during this trial period.

Eurasian Beaver (Photo: Klaudiusz Muchowski/Wiki Commons).

The news has been celebrated by both The Wildlife Trusts and The Mammal Society. Harry Barton, Chief Executive of Devon Wildlife Trust, said: "We are delighted by Natural England's decision to grant us a licence to give these beavers a long-term future on the River Otter. It's the result of a great deal of effort by our charity, supported by partner organisations across the UK and, most importantly, by the local community."

"This is an historic moment. The beavers of the River Otter are the first breeding population in the English countryside for hundreds of years. We believe they can play a positive role in the landscapes of the 21st century through their ability to restore our rivers to their former glories. We know from our own research and research done in Europe that beavers are excellent aquatic-engineers improving the flood and drought resilience of our countryside and increasing the water quality of our rivers. They are incredibly industrious animals and their hard work has benefits for people and wildlife."

Beavers are a remarkable species with a rare ability to transform the landscapes in which they live. Contrary to popular belief they are vegetarian, and fish populations will remain unharmed. The mosaic of ponds, canals and wetland habitats that they can create can enhance the ecosystem for other wildlife. There are benefits for humans, too: beavers engineer more absorbent landscapes which help prevent flooding and filter water so that it becomes cleaner.

Public enthusiasm for the beavers is high — Devon Wildlife Trust has raised £45,000 in just 8 weeks after appealing to the public to help fund the scheme.