A beaver baby boom is under way across Britain this summer in places where the species had been extinct for centuries.
From Ealing in London to the Cairngorms in Scotland, and from Canterbury in Kent to the Wallington Estate in Northumberland, new kits have emerged from their lodges for an after-dark dip in the water.
Until about 20 years ago, beavers had been extinct from Britain for 400 years, having been hunted for their fur, meat and their scent oil, castoreum. Today, after licensed and unlicensed releases, there are about 1,500 beavers in Scotland and 600 to 800 in England.
Dr Sean McCormack, from the Ealing Beaver Project, said: “Beavers are an important animal we once lived alongside up and down the country and welcoming them back, even to our towns and cities, is the right thing to do.”
Source: The Guardian
