Beavers to be reintroduced to London

Beavers are to be reintroduced to west London following an absence of 400 years.

The project is set to take place at Paradise Fields in Ealing, after conservation groups received roughly £40,000 in funding from the Mayor of London. A planned wetland at the site is expected to support two of the mammals initially, which could arrive in the autumn, according to the Ealing Wildlife Group.

Two Eurasian Beavers are set to be released in Ealing, West London, this autumn (Mark Hows).

Last year two beavers, named Justin and Sigourney Beaver, were introduced to a farm in north London, but one of them died before the pair could breed.

The Ealing project is among 21 others across the capital which are planned to help restore wildlife. In total, it is hoped about 116 ha of habitat will be restored or created. So far City Hall has committed £850,000, with an extra £1m of funding for new rewilding projects having now been pledged.

Areas that could be rewilded include Ruislip Woods, Enfield Chase and the Thames Marshes in Bexley.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "Despite the harm inflicted on the natural world, we have the power to make amends, and I am committed to ensuring that London is at the vanguard of efforts to reverse the trends of declining biodiversity and the destruction of nature.

"Rewilding allows nature to take the lead and is an exciting way to create healthier ecosystems and allow humans and wildlife to live together more harmoniously."