Beavers and butthead
The Scottish government has approved the reintroduction of the European beaver, some 400 years after they were hunted to extinction in the UK.
Environment Minister Michael Russell says up to four beaver families will be captured in Norway in the (Northern Hemisphere) autumn in 2008 and then placed in quarantine for six months before being released on a trial basis in the spring of 2009.
The proposed release sites are five lochs in the Knapdale area of Argyll. The released beavers will then be monitored for five years by Scottish Natural Heritage, with the trial being run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
Mr Russell called the project an "exciting development for wildlife enthusiasts all over Scotland and beyond".
"The beaver was hunted to extinction in this country in the 16th century and I am delighted that this wonderful species will be making a comeback.
"They are charismatic, resourceful little mammals and I fully expect their reappearance in Knapdale to draw tourists from around the British Isles - and even further afield," he said.
Mr Russell said that other parts of Europe, with a similar landscape to Scotland, have reintroduced beavers and evidence has shown that they can also have positive ecological benefits, such as creating and maintaining a habitat hospitable to other species.
He said he hopes the limited release could lay the foundation for a wider reintroduction in other parts of Scotland, dependent on an evaluation of the impact the beavers have on the local environment and economy.
"Standing on your mother's corpse you told me that you'd wait forever." [Bryan Adams: Summer of 69]
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by vifferman
Bookmarks