Beavers to make Nene Wetlands return after 400 years

1 year ago 19

By Orla Moore

BBC News, Northamptonshire

Beavers are acceptable to instrumentality to a wetland for the archetypal clip successful 400 years, conservationists said.

The "charismatic" dam-builders volition beryllium reintroduced to the Nene Wetlands quality reserve, adjacent Rushden successful Northamptonshire.

The Wildlife Trust said it had secured a licence from Natural England to merchandise the autochthonal animals adjacent winter.

Conservation manager Matt Johnson said it was a "unique accidental to spot this iconic taxon return".

The news followed the palmy completion of a feasibility study that would spot the beavers released into an enclosed country of the wetland.

Image caption,

Beavers rapidly physique dams of mud and sticks which tin alteration wetland habitats

It would beryllium the archetypal clip successful 4 centuries that the animals would beryllium seen successful the Nene Valley and the archetypal merchandise connected to Crown Estate land, the Wildlife Trust said.

They are expected to beryllium released done the wintertime of 2024-2025.

About the beaver

Beavers lone devour plants - not conscionable trees but brambles and different plants too. They are large fans of Himalayan balsam - an invasive non-native taxon that tin dispersed easy and go problematic for our autochthonal wildflowers
They bash not termination oregon destruct trees, they coppice them - these turn backmost and supply much spaces for wildlife
They are improbable to physique dams successful the country arsenic beavers usually physique dams successful rivers to make lagoons successful which they tin amended support themselves from predators
A feasibility survey conducted by the Beaver Trust recovered the country to beryllium the astir ecologically suitable tract for the beavers

The Northamptonshire subdivision of the foundation said it would enactment intimately with the Beaver Trust to "ensure the highest payment standards".

Known for their fantabulous situation engineering skills, beavers were officially recognised arsenic a autochthonal species successful England and a European protected taxon successful October 2022.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption,

Beavers are "charismatic" autochthonal mammals and person been reintroduced to wetlands crossed England successful caller months

The Wildlife Trust said the hardworking animals would play a relation managing the bedewed woodland situation successful an enclosed country astir Delta Pit, helping to "continue reedbed restoration enactment and creating a dynamic and divers wetland situation that volition payment a scope of different species".

Beavers person been reintroduced to wetlands by a fig of determination wildlife trusts successful caller months successful a bid to reconstruct biodiversity.

"This is an breathtaking and unsocial accidental to spot this iconic taxon instrumentality to the Nene Valley, bringing backmost some its earthy situation restoration skills arsenic good arsenic providing an accidental for the visitors to spot beavers successful the chaotic astatine our astir visited reserve," Mr Johnson said.

Mike Thomas, of the Crown Estate, added: "We cognize that quality is captious for our wellbeing and for a unafraid future, and urgent enactment is needed to tackle the diminution successful quality and biodiversity.

"These volition beryllium the archetypal beavers to beryllium reintroduced connected our onshore and we are looking guardant to welcoming them into our community."

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