Beavers

[Nick93]

If you've been watching Springwatch then you would have seen the Scottish beavers that are in a trial reintroduction. I knew about them before the show from when they were in the newspaper. But what happens when the trial is over? Will there be further reintroduction elsewhere? Id like to see see beavers reintroduced fully, although this probably isnt possible with our development of urban areas. Does anyone know of any other species that may be brought back?.. apparently a guy wanted to realease some wolves a few years ago, that would be amazing!!

 

[nodd]

Here are a few species that have been and are being introduced.

Butterflies: Large Blue, Glanville Fritillary, Heath Fritillary.

Mammals: European Beaver, Red Squirrel, Wild Boar Otter.

Birds :Northern Goshawk , Red Kite, Osprey, White Tailed Eagle, Great Bustard, Black Grouse, Corncrake and Common Crane.

 

[raspberryjam]

the monitoring programme is here...http://www.snh.gov.uk/protecting-scotlands-nature/safeguarding-biodiversity/reintroducing-native-species/scottish-beaver-trial/the-monitoring-programme/

there is alot of talk about bringing back the grey wolf but at the mo nothing is being planned....I think they should go for it

 

[Graham_S]

There is also a rogue beaver colony in Tentsmuir Forest.
I found them on my wanders once.

 

[nodd]

There are proposals for beaver reintroductions in England and Wales.
The Reintroduction of beaver into Wales
This process began in 2005 with a meeting in Newtown, Powys in July to assess the ecology and impact on any introductions into Wales. At the meeting there were representatives for 26 organisations including a number of Welsh Wildlife Trusts. Welsh Water, The Environment Agency, farming and fisheries groups, RSPB, Snowdonia National Park and the Forestry Commission were also involved. In 2009 the process was still at the consultation stage. The next stage will be to form a liaison group to form a common position.

The Reintroduction of beaver into England
Against the background of the Scottish trial and the Welsh feasibility study; Natural England and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species commissioned a scientific report on the possibility of the reintroduction of the beaver into the wild in England.
This scientific report was published on the 18th of March 2009. This joint report was commissioned in preparation for any licence applications that Natural England may receive regarding the reintroduction of the beaver into England.
In October 2005 two beaver families comprising six animals, were released into a fenced off twenty hectare area site at Lower Mill Estate in the Cotswold Water Park this area is comprised of a fifteen hectare lake and three hectare of woodland and grassland. After a territorial dispute one of the families had to be relocated. The Cotswold Water Park Society and The University of West England are studying the impact that the beavers have on their habitat.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

I have heard the vague rumours of introducing wolves into the Highlands to control the deer population.....I would like to think that these additions to the UK wildlife are a good idea but helas in our modern world, the UK in particular, there is no longer the place for them.
Wolves, beavers & the like, will not stay in one locality, & when their activities (killing livestock & pets for the wolves & blocking water courses, flooding & damaging trees & crops for the beavers) the locals will be crying for their blood.
Having armed marksmen around the boundries, killing any animal that leaves the alloted space set for them is just not possible.& pulling beaver dams apart whenever they cause problems is no way to run an eco-system.
I wish the beavers well but I suspect they will pay the ultimate price sooner or later.

 

[tomongoose]

I would love to see beavers reintroduced but we just don't have the space any more and the landscape is too managed. It would be nice to see them but I would not want there dams flooding my land

 

[ged]

There is also a rogue beaver colony in Tentsmuir Forest.

What exactly is a rogue beaver? Are they dangerous?

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

These mammals - beaver and wolf - can't fit the ecoology, currently. They are not compatible with forrestry and sheep hill farming. Farmers have had a tough time of late and we have enough at the moment. It's a different context to the pyrenees or scandinavia. We can't even get sporting estates to stop poisoning Buzzards !

 

[nodd]

I think it is unlikely that we will be seeing the reintroduction of the wolf any time soon. I feel the reintroduction of the beaver could work from a ecological point of view.With the plans to reintroduce the beaver back into the wild there have been a number of concerns raised from farmers as to the possible effects of flooding caused by beavers building dams, and the effects on farmland. In other countries there has been negligible effect on farm land, this is one aspect being monitored in the trial.
The building of dams will raise the water level locally and moderate water flow in the streams or rivers. This in general terms can help reduce the risk of flooding further down the river system.
Fishery organizations raised concerns regarding the Atlantic salmon and its migration routes. The experience in the other countries where the beaver and the salmon interact is that there has been no adverse effect on salmon migration, the two species having coexisted for thousands of year.
Beavers can have a beneficial effect, in improving wetland habitats and in producing wet woodlands and flooded forests which is a missing part of our native habitat. The drowned trees in this type of habitat provide important habitats for woodpeckers, beetles and fungi.
The woodland will also be more varied with a greater biodiversity ,wider range of tree size and open glades; the beaver help this by coppicing trees.
Where the beaver builds dams this will form shallow ponds providing habitat for fresh water invertebrates. The dams would also hold water during periods of drought and regulate flooding and help remove sediment from the water and acid run off so improving water quality. These ponds will also be holding areas for fish and wildfowl. The stabilized wetlands would also provide nesting sites for a range of bird species.
The economic effect from the reintroduction of the beaver could lead to an increase in wildlife tourism. A study carried out by the Wildlife Conservation Unit at the University of Oxford suggests that increased tourism in a release area could bring in more than 2 million pounds per annum into the local economy. This is born out in other parts of the country like West Scotland where the estimated gross income from whale watching alone is 7.8 million pounds.
This income could be generated in a number of ways like sale of merchandise and like in Europe where in Brittany, Belgium, Denmark, Poland and Sweden there are guided beaver safaris.

 

[Holme]

These mammals - beaver and wolf - can't fit the ecoology, currently. They are not compatible with forrestry and sheep hill farming. Farmers have had a tough time of late and we have enough at the moment. It's a different context to the pyrenees or scandinavia. We can't even get sporting estates to stop poisoning Buzzards !

I´m afraid Scandinavia isn´t much better. The ongoing expansion of the wolf poulation in Sweden (and Norway) is causing a lot of hostile debate between the national authoritites and, among others, the hunting organizations. The wolf population is genetically very weak, originating from only three different animals, but this year maybe some fresh blood has come in from a few Finnish wolfs that somehow have made their way through the reindeer areas in the north and so far have survived the illegal and legal hunting.

There is even a folklore acronyme: "SGT - Skjut, gräv och tig!" which roughly translates into "Shoot, dig and shut up!".